Charles Sims (aviator)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Charles John Sims was an English World War I flying ace
credited with nine aerial victories. His most notable victory saw him shoot down an enemy plane that crashed into another, giving Sims a second win. However, Sims' Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for his courage in ground attack missions.
on 23 October 1917. He was assigned to 13 Naval Squadron (later 213 Squadron RAF). He was diligent in trench strafing and ground support missions. He also scored nine aerial victories between 9 July 1918 and war's end. His most notable wins were on 25 September, when one Fokker D.VII
he downed spun into a second, taking it out also; and his triple win on 14 October. His final tally was a balloon and four German planes destroyed singlehanded, two enemy planes shared destroyed with other pilots, and two planes driven down out of control.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as announced by Flight magazine on 7 November 1918:
. On 1 January 1926, he was promoted from Flying Officer
to Flight Lieutenant
The subsequent life of Charles John Sims remains unknown.
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Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
credited with nine aerial victories. His most notable victory saw him shoot down an enemy plane that crashed into another, giving Sims a second win. However, Sims' Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for his courage in ground attack missions.
World War I
Sims was commissioned in the Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
on 23 October 1917. He was assigned to 13 Naval Squadron (later 213 Squadron RAF). He was diligent in trench strafing and ground support missions. He also scored nine aerial victories between 9 July 1918 and war's end. His most notable wins were on 25 September, when one Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
he downed spun into a second, taking it out also; and his triple win on 14 October. His final tally was a balloon and four German planes destroyed singlehanded, two enemy planes shared destroyed with other pilots, and two planes driven down out of control.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as announced by Flight magazine on 7 November 1918:
Post World War I
Sims stayed in service postwar. On 1 August 1919, when the RAF reorganized for peacetime, Sims was granted a permanent commission as a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. On 1 January 1926, he was promoted from Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
to Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
The subsequent life of Charles John Sims remains unknown.
Reference
- Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
- Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1: Volume 52 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 52 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Franks, NormanNorman FranksNorman Leslie Robert Franks is an English writer who specialises in aviation books on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.-Biography:...
. Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1841765341, 9781841765341.
Endnotes
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