Captain Reginald George Malcolm was a Canadian flying ace

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...

 during World War I. He was credited with eight aerial victories scored during March, April

Bloody April

During the First World War, the month of April 1917 was known as Bloody April by the Royal Flying Corps . The RFC suffered particularly severe losses — about three times as many as the Imperial German Army Air Service over the same period — but continued its primary role in support of the ground...

, and May 1916.

Early life

Reginald George Malcolm was a Canadian, though there are conflicting accounts of his birth place and birth date. Some aviation historians state he was born in Manitoba, Canada in 1890. The Canadian Great War Project, as well as the Aerodrome website, give his birthplace as Owen Sound, Ontario, and the date as 14 January 1891. He was a bachelor working as a clerk in civil life before he joined the military.

When he decided to join military service to fight in the First World War, he first learned to fly in the United States. He earned Aero Club of America

Aero Club of America

The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Glidden and others to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New England. It thrived until 1923, when it transformed into the National Aeronautic...

 Pilot's Certificate No. 440 from the Wright School in Augusta, Georgia on 29 March 1916.

First World War service

Malcolm joined the Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 and was placed on the General List; on 24 February 1917 second lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

 R. G. Malcolm was appointed a 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...

. Eight days later, he scored his first aerial victory while teamed with Leonard Herbert Emsden

Leonard Herbert Emsden

Sergeant Leonard Herbert Emsden DCM was an observer and gunner aboard Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b two-seater airplanes. He began scoring aerial victories during March 1917, continued winning through Bloody April, and capped his career as a flying ace with three victories on 1 May 1917...

 in a pusher

Pusher configuration

In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...

 Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d. Sometimes teamed with Emsden, sometimes with other gunners, Malcolm was already an ace when he and Emsden finished off their respective victory strings with three victories on 1 May 1917.

The action that day was vividly described in public records:

On 1st May 1917, he was one of a formation of six which was attacked by 15 hostile scouts. He attacked one which he shot down and destroyed near Izel. A little later he was attacked by five scouts, one of which he drove down damaged. This machine was seen to land just west of Lens. Again, on the same patrol, he drove off two scouts which were attacking one of our artillery machines. Later in the same day, whilst on a bomb raid, he was attacked by a red scout, which damaged his engine. He immediately dived, and his observer shot down the hostile machine, which fell in flames in Bois-Bernard

Bois-Bernard

Bois-Bernard is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 10 miles northeast of Arras on the D919 and D46 roads.-History:...

. 2nd Lieutenant Malcolm managed to land on our side of the lines.

Emsden, his observer that day, was wounded in the hand during the fray.

Malcolm was withdrawn from combat on 18 June 1917 and posted to Home Establishment in Britain. On 18 July, his Military Cross

Military Cross

The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....

 award for courage was gazetted:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has shown exceptional skill and courage in aerial fighting. He has several times been attacked by superior numbers, and on each occasion has accounted for more than one of the hostile machines and effected a safe landing himself.

On 1 July 1918, he was both promoted to captain and shipped home to Canada. Once there, he commanded Aerial Fighting School No. 2 at Beamington, Ontario, Canada until he was transferred to staff duty at headquarters on 16 December 1918.

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

Aerial victory standards of World War I

During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...

No.	Date/time	Aircraft	Foe	Result	Location	Notes
1	4 March 1917 @ 1115 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d serial number 7693	LVG LVG Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was...  two-seater	Destroyed	Courrieres Courrières Courrières is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:An ex-coalmining commune, now a light industrial and farming town, situated some northeast of Lens, at the junction of the D46 and D919 roads and next to the A1 autoroute... , France	Gunner: Leonard Herbert Emsden Leonard Herbert Emsden Sergeant Leonard Herbert Emsden DCM was an observer and gunner aboard Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b two-seater airplanes. He began scoring aerial victories during March 1917, continued winning through Bloody April, and capped his career as a flying ace with three victories on 1 May 1917... ; victory shared with William Drummond Matheson William Drummond Matheson Captain William Drummond Matheson was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-References:...  and gunner, two other air crews
2	17 March 1917 circa 1130 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n A782	Albatros D.II Albatros D.II |-See also:...	Destroyed	Between Oppy Oppy, Pas-de-Calais Oppy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Oppy is situated northeast of Arras, at the junction of the D33, D48 and D50 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...  and Beaumont, France	Gunner: C. W. Wilson
3	13 April 1917 @ 1930 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n A6385	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...	Destroyed	Hénin-Liétard, France	Gunner: Leonard Herbert Emsden
4	14 April 1917 @ 1930 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n A6383	Albatros D.III	Destroyed	Henin-Lietard, France	Gunner: C.W. Weir; victory shared with another air crew
5	21 April 1917 @ 1845 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n A8375	Captured	Albatros D.III	Between Thélus Thélus Thélus is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Thélus lies north of Arras, at the junction of the N17 and D49 roads. Junction 7 of the A26 autoroute is less than a mile away...  and Vimy Vimy Vimy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography and history:Vimy is a farming town, situated some north of Arras, at the junction of the D51 and the N17 roads.... , France	Gunner: C.W. Weir; victory shared with Anthony Arnold Anthony Arnold Major Anthony Rex Arnold was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.-Early life:Arnold was born at Tattenhall, near Chester, the youngest of three children of Charles Lowther Arnold and Mary Delamere . His two older brothers were both killed in action during the war...  RNAS 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...
6	1 May 1917 @ 0620 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n 7672	Albatros D.III	Destroyed	Izel-lès-Hameau, France	Gunner: Leonard Herbert Emsden
7	1 May 1917 @ 0645 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n 7672	Albatros D.III	Captured	West of Lens	Gunner: Leonard Herbert Emsden
8	1 May 1917 @ 1800 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2d s/n 7672	Albatros D.III	Destroyed; set afire in midair	Bois-Bernard Bois-Bernard Bois-Bernard is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 10 miles northeast of Arras on the D919 and D46 roads.-History:... , France	Gunner: Leonard Herbert Emsden

Post war

After Reginald George Malcolm was transferred to staff duty at headquarters on 16 December 1918, he fades from history's view.

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 Franks
  Norman Franks
  Norman Leslie Robert Franks is an English writer who specialises in aviation books on the pilots and squadrons of World Wars I and II.-Biography:...
  
  , Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
• Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, The British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, And the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914-1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI. Norman Franks, Russell Guest, Gregory Alegi. Grub Street, 1997. ISBN 1898697566, 9781898697565.
• Cross & Cockade Journal, Volume 6. Cross & Cockade, the Society of World War I Aero Historians, 1965.

Endnotes

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