Ronald M. Keirstead
Encyclopedia
Captain Ronald McNeill Keirstead DSC
(20 June 1895 –23 October 1970) was a Canadian
First World War
flying ace
, officially credited with 13 victories.
and was posted to 4N Squadron as a Sopwith Camel
pilot on 15 June 1917. Less than a month later, on 10 July, he shared his first aerial victory with Flight Commander Arnold Jacques Chadwick
, as they set a German Albatros D.V
afire in midair for a win apiece. On 25 July, Keirstead, Chadwick, and Albert Enstone
shared in the destruction of a seaplane east of Dixmude. On 18 August, Keirstead drove another Albatros D.V down out of control. On 24 September 1917, he drove a third Albatros down out of control, then immediately set afire another and killed its pilot from Jasta 28. Oberleutnant Jahn's death made Keirstead an ace and garnered him a DSC.
Keirstead would win three more times in 1917, ending the year with an out of control win on 6 December. His DSC would be gazetted on 22 February 1918. The big day of Flight Commander Keirstead's career as an ace came on the afternoon of 21 March, when he drove down a Pfalz D.III
fighter, destroyed another, and teamed with a Belgian Spad
to destroy yet another Pfalz. He would score two more single victories after his squadron was redesignated 204 Squadron RAF, rounding off his tally on 12 June 1918. In summary, Keirstead was credited with destroying six enemy airplanes, including three shared wins; driving six more down out of control; and sharing in the capture of a Rumpler
.
In recognition of conspicuous gallantry in aerial combats.
On the 24th September, 1917, he engaged single-handed four enemy aeroplanes, of which two were destroyed by him. On the 21st October, 1917, during an engagement between a British and a German formation, he attacked one of the enemy scouts and shot its port wings away from the rest of the machine. He then dived on to some enemy scouts which were attacking another of our machines and brought one of them down in a spinning nose dive.
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(20 June 1895 –23 October 1970) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
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...
, officially credited with 13 victories.
World War I
Keirstead learned to fly at the civilian Curtiss School in Toronto in 1916. He then joined 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...
and was posted to 4N Squadron as a Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
pilot on 15 June 1917. Less than a month later, on 10 July, he shared his first aerial victory with Flight Commander Arnold Jacques Chadwick
Arnold Jacques Chadwick
Flight Commander Arnold Jacques Chadwick was a Canadian-born World War I flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories. He became an ace twice over; once while flying Sopwith Pups and again while piloting Sopwith Camels.-Early life:...
, as they set a German Albatros D.V
Albatros D.V
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X....
afire in midair for a win apiece. On 25 July, Keirstead, Chadwick, and Albert Enstone
Albert Enstone
Captain Albert James Enstone DSC DFC was a British World War I flying ace. Various sources credit him with differing air victory scores. In one text, he is credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories and driving down 11 other German airplanes, including three Gotha bombers.Another source lists 15...
shared in the destruction of a seaplane east of Dixmude. On 18 August, Keirstead drove another Albatros D.V down out of control. On 24 September 1917, he drove a third Albatros down out of control, then immediately set afire another and killed its pilot from Jasta 28. Oberleutnant Jahn's death made Keirstead an ace and garnered him a DSC.
Keirstead would win three more times in 1917, ending the year with an out of control win on 6 December. His DSC would be gazetted on 22 February 1918. The big day of Flight Commander Keirstead's career as an ace came on the afternoon of 21 March, when he drove down a Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
fighter, destroyed another, and teamed with a Belgian Spad
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés
SPAD was a French aircraft manufacturer between 1911 and 1921. Its SPAD S.XIII biplane was the most popular French fighter airplane in World War I.-Deperdussin:...
to destroy yet another Pfalz. He would score two more single victories after his squadron was redesignated 204 Squadron RAF, rounding off his tally on 12 June 1918. In summary, Keirstead was credited with destroying six enemy airplanes, including three shared wins; driving six more down out of control; and sharing in the capture of a Rumpler
Rumpler
The Rumpler Tropfenwagen was a car developed by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler.Rumpler, born in Vienna, was a designer of aircraft when on the 1921's Berlin car show he introduced the Tropfenwagen. It was to be the first streamlined car . The Rumpler had a Cw-value of only 0.28...
.
Post World War I
Keirstead would be partially blinded in an accidental munitions explosion during World War II.Distinguished Service Cross citation
Flt.-Sub-Lieut. Ronald McNeill Keirstead, R.N.A.S.In recognition of conspicuous gallantry in aerial combats.
On the 24th September, 1917, he engaged single-handed four enemy aeroplanes, of which two were destroyed by him. On the 21st October, 1917, during an engagement between a British and a German formation, he attacked one of the enemy scouts and shot its port wings away from the rest of the machine. He then dived on to some enemy scouts which were attacking another of our machines and brought one of them down in a spinning nose dive.