A fine collection of Awards to the Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force 1914-18 (Part I)
“Wilkie’s Bus” - Wilkinson prepares to depart on a morning patrol (from a photograph taken by his C.O., Hawker, V.C.)
Lieutenant Capon, diving at a Roland, was shot through the leg below the knee. He finished his drum at close range, and returning landed successfully at Chipelly. Three more Rolands approached to attack, but Captain Wilkinson climbed and they made off east as soon as he reached their height. Later, Captain Wilkinson saw an L.V.G. approaching High Wood. He dived, keeping to a flank, and when within 70 yards, turned on the enemy aircraft’s tail. At this moment, Captain Wilkinson was fired on from behind, but he continued his attack on the L.V.G. under heavy fire from four Rolands, firing 50 rounds at about 20 yards range. The L.V.G. dived almost vertically under the de Havilland, and probably crashed, but Captain Wilkinson had to turn to meet the attack from behind. The four Roalnds were just above, and manoeuvred to take advantage of the de Havilland’s fixed gun, but Captain Wilkinson raised the mounting and engaged three of them with short bursts. Apparently taken by surprise, the enemy aircraft immediately retired east, one going down steeply, but apparently in control. Captain Wilkinson then retired owing to shortage of petrol, his emergency tank having been shot through. Also two struts were damaged, two main-spars pierced and six wires cut through.’
Wilkinson fought at least three more combats in September, including, it is believed, a tussle with Oswald Boelcke, and was awarded the D.S.O. in October. He was also mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917 refers). He returned to the Home Establishment.
No. 48 Squadron
Next posted to No. 48 Squadron, which was forming with the new Bristol F2A Fighters, he accompanied the unit out to France as a Flight Commander in the Spring of 1917 and was quickly in action on Thursday 5 April 1917, when, as recounted in Bloody April ... Black September, by Norman Franks, Russell Guest and Frank Bailey, the Squadron came up against “Richthofen’s Flying Circus”, and his fellow Flight Commander, Captain Leefe Robsinson, V.C., was shot down and taken prisoner. It was a costly start to the F2As introduction to front line service, and though much credit has been given to the Canadian ace, Andrew McKeever, for advancing the combat success of this type, it would be fair to say that Wilkinson and a fellow squadron pilot, Captain David Tidmarsh, were equally responsible for employing the right tactics for success from an early hour. And categoric proof for that contention is to be found in Wilkinson’s remarkable tally of ensuing victories - nine of them claimed in the Arras offensive in April 1917 and at least four of these in a single day.
Of the latter encounter, fought over the Lens-Arras sector on 9 April, his D.S.O. citation actually credits Wilkinson with six “kills”. And the following extract, taken from the recommendation for his immediate Bar to his D.S.O. - submitted by Major A. V. “Zulu” Bettington - appears to support this higher claim: if so, he was first Commonwealth pilot to claim six-in-a-day:
‘On 9 April 1917, while patrolling over enemy lines, at about 12,000 feet, an Albatross 2-seater was seen about 8,000 feet below, which without hesitation, and in spite of it being so low over its own lines, was promptly dived on and a burst from the pilots gun fired, when the enemy aircraft turned and after more shots fired into it, was sent down obviously out of control, finally being seen to hit the ground. Later confirmation of the destruction of this enemy aircraft was reported by A.A. and another aeroplane. This was a big dive down from 12,000 feet and showed great dash. The fight finished at only 3,500 feet.
After the above mentioned fight, when Captain Wilkinson’s partner had been compelled to return to the aerodrome owing to engine trouble, this gallant officer, fully appreciating the importance of events taking place on the ground beneath and knowing that he was relied on by me to maintain a patrol, carried on alone. Very shortly afterwards, finding three large 2-seater enemy aircraft, flying low near our lines and obviously trying to range hostile artillery, and being escorted by three fast Scouts much higher up, Captain Wilkinson hung round skilfully keeping hos own machine out of sight as much as possible by getting between the Artillery machines, the sun and the clouds; waiting a favourable opportunity to attack this far superior number, an opportunity soon presented itself when a big cloud came over between the escorting Scouts and the Artillery-ranging machines. He dived among them from behind and both pilot and Observer opened fire. The attack being so sudden and swift, none of the enemy aircraft attempted to fight but dived hard. However, Captain Wilkinson dived equally fast getting a series of bursts of about 100 rounds altogether into one at between 50 and 75 yards, which promptly went down hopelessly out of control. Meanwhile, the Observer, Lieutenant L. W. Allen, brought his gun to bear on another enemy machine at about 150 yards range, sending the second down obviously hard hit. The third enemy aircraft was not seen again, neither were the Scouts overhead, when Captain Wilkinson reappeared from under the cloud.
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