John Joseph Malone
Encyclopedia
Flight Sub-Lieutenant John Joseph Malone was a Canadian flying ace
of the Royal Naval Air Service
during World War I. He was credited with 10 aerial victories and won the Distinguished Service Order for his valor before dying in combat.
, Saskatchewan
. Malone gave his occupation as "gas engine mechanic". The medical officer noted that Malone was 5 feet 4 inches tall, with medium complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. A scar on his hip was described as an identifying mark. Interestingly, a scrawl across the enlistment form seems to indicate that Malone was already "tagged" for flying duty; it reads, "Malone (indecipherable two words) to learn aviation".
in Ontario. He earned his Royal Aero Club
pilot's certificate on 15 July 1916, and was commissioned as a probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service
the same day. He then shipped out for Britain.
On 1 February 1917, he was posted to No. 3 Wing RNAS (later designated No. 3 Naval Squadron RNAS). He scored his first aerial victory on 4 March 1917. After scoring a triple victory followed by a single one, he was an ace. Another triple win followed, bringing his tally to eight.
On 24 April 1917, Malone managed to force a German two-seater to ground for a ninth triumph; Malone's engine then quit, forcing him to land his Sopwith Pup next to his victim. The German observer died of his wounds; his pilot was also wounded. Malone took custody of the pilot while under a barrage of artillery fire, and escorted him back to the squadron mess for a drink before the German departed into captivity.
A tenth win two days later ended his string. Four days later, on 30 April 1917, Malone was shot down and killed by Paul Billik
, beginning the latter's career as an ace. John Joseph Malone is honored at the Arras Flying Services Memorial.
His posthumous award of the Distinguished Service Order was gazetted on 23 May 1917:
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...
of the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal 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...
during World War I. He was credited with 10 aerial victories and won the Distinguished Service Order for his valor before dying in combat.
Early life
John Joseph Malone was born in Inglewood, Ontario, Canada on 20 December 1894; his parents were Mary C. Wallace and Edmund J. Malone. At the time of the younger Malone's enlistment on 11 December 1914, they were residing in ReginaRegina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. Malone gave his occupation as "gas engine mechanic". The medical officer noted that Malone was 5 feet 4 inches tall, with medium complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. A scar on his hip was described as an identifying mark. Interestingly, a scrawl across the enlistment form seems to indicate that Malone was already "tagged" for flying duty; it reads, "Malone (indecipherable two words) to learn aviation".
World War I
Malone learned to fly at the Curtiss Flying School at the Long Branch AerodromeLong Branch Aerodrome
Long Branch Aerodrome was an airfield located west of Toronto, Ontario and just east of Port Credit, now Mississauga, and was Canada's first aerodrome. The airport was opened by the Curtiss Flying School, part of the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, as a pilot training school in 1915...
in Ontario. He earned his Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
pilot's certificate on 15 July 1916, and was commissioned as a probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal 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...
the same day. He then shipped out for Britain.
On 1 February 1917, he was posted to No. 3 Wing RNAS (later designated No. 3 Naval Squadron RNAS). He scored his first aerial victory on 4 March 1917. After scoring a triple victory followed by a single one, he was an ace. Another triple win followed, bringing his tally to eight.
On 24 April 1917, Malone managed to force a German two-seater to ground for a ninth triumph; Malone's engine then quit, forcing him to land his Sopwith Pup next to his victim. The German observer died of his wounds; his pilot was also wounded. Malone took custody of the pilot while under a barrage of artillery fire, and escorted him back to the squadron mess for a drink before the German departed into captivity.
A tenth win two days later ended his string. Four days later, on 30 April 1917, Malone was shot down and killed by Paul Billik
Paul Billik
Paul Billik Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross was a World War I fighter ace credited with 31 victories. He was killed in a flying accident while pioneering civil aviation.-His Life Before Aviation:...
, beginning the latter's career as an ace. John Joseph Malone is honored at the Arras Flying Services Memorial.
His posthumous award of the Distinguished Service Order was gazetted on 23 May 1917:
List of aerial victories
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 March 1917 @ 1145 hours | Sopwith Pup Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup was a British single seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good maneuverability, the aircraft proved very... serial number 9898 |
Halberstadt D.II Halberstadt D.II The Halberstadt D.II was a biplane fighter aircraft of the Luftstreitkräfte that served through the period of Allied air superiority in early 1916, but had begun to be superseded in the Jagdstaffeln by the superior Albatros fighters by the autumn of that year.-Design and development:The D.II was... fighter plane |
Driven down out of control | Manancourt Étricourt-Manancourt Étricourt-Manancourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Étricourt-Manancourt is situated on the D43 road, some east-northeast of Amiens.-Population:-External links:* *... , France |
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| 2 | 17 March 1917 @ 1025 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 9898 | German reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | Northeast of Bapaume Bapaume Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is... , France |
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| 3 | 17 March 1917 @ 1100 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 9898 | Albatros D.II Albatros D.II |-See also:... fighter |
Destroyed by fire | Ervillers Ervillers Ervillers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated south of Arras at the junction of the N17, D36 and D9 roads.-History:... , France |
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| 4 | 17 March 1917 @ 1450 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 9898 | Albatros D.II fighter | Destroyed by fire | Arras Arras Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect... , France |
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| 5 | 21 April 1917 @ 1740 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 6208 | German reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | 5 miles north of Queant Quéant Quéant is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Quéant is situated southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D14 and D22 roads... , France |
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| 6 | 23 April 1917 @ | Sopwith Pup s/n 6208 | Albatros D.III Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer... fighter] |
Destroyed | Croisilles Croisilles, Pas-de-Calais Croisilles is a village and commune in the Pas-de-Calais department of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming village located 8 miles south of Arras at the junction of the D5 and D9 roads... , France |
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| 7 | 23 April 1917 @ | Sopwith Pup s/n 6208 | Albatros D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Croissilles, France | |
| 8 | 23 April 1917 @ 0745 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 6208 | Albatros D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Croissilles-Havrincourt Havrincourt Havrincourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France.-Situation:The village lies about 14 kilometres south-west of Cambrai near the Havrincourt service area on the Autoroute A2... , France |
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| 9 | 24 April 1917 @ 1650 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 6208 | DFW DFW DFW may refer to:*Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport*Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a metropolitan area in north Texas*Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources*Division of Fisheries and Wildlife... reconnaissance plane |
Captured | Morchies Morchies Morchies is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Population:-Places of interest:* The church of St.Vaast, rebuilt, as was all of the village, after World War I.... -Louverval |
Victory shared with Herbert Travers Herbert Travers Flight Commander Herbert Gardner Travers was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Postwar, he worked in civil aviation. He returned to service during World War II.... and Francis Casey |
| 10 | 26 April 1917 @ 1915 hours | Sopwith Pup s/n 6202 | Albatros D.III fighter | Destroyed | North of Cambrai Cambrai Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included... , France |
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