Lieutenant Archibald Buchanan (born October 5, 1892, date of death unknown) was a

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

credited with seven aerial victories. Buchanan voyaged to England to join the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

. The RNAS and the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

were amalgamated into the Royal Air Force before Buchanan earned his pilot's wings, but he was assigned to a former RNAS squadron, No. 210. Buchanan began his victory string as a balloon buster on 30 June 1918, when he destroyed an enemy observation balloon northeast of

Estaires Estaires (; ) is a commune in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. The town gives its name to a type of chicken bred in the area: the Estaires chicken. Geography Estaires is located in French Flanders, in th ...

. His second win, on 20 July, was shared with Captain Harold Mellings. Between 31 July and 29 September, he scored five more wins over enemy fighter planes; his final summary was victory over five

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is 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 second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

s, a

Pfalz D.III The Pfalz D.III was a fighter aircraft used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War. The D.III was the first major original design from Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Though generally considered inferior to co ...

, and a balloon. On 17 October, he landed his

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

, Belgium, in the wake of the German retreat, only to be informed by locals that he was the first Allied soldier to come to the city after the Germans left. On 30 October, Buchanan was shot down by

Michael Hutterer ''Vizefeldwebel'' Michael Hutterer MMC IC was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Hutterer began over two years in ground units on 4 August 1914. He won his native Bavaria's 3rd Class Military Merit Cross on 24 April ...

Jasta 23 Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 23 was a "hunting group" (i.e., fighter squadron) of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. As one of the original German fighter squadrons, the unit would score a minimum o ...

, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.

Honors and awards

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Lieut. Archibald Buchanan, 210 Sqn. (Sea Patrol, FLANDERS) On 29 September this officer displayed great gallantry. In an engagement with fifteen Fokker biplanes, owing to engine trouble he was compelled to remain under his flight; he nevertheless accounted for two enemy machines, attacking one under its tail causing it to crash, and driving another down out of control. In addition to the foregoing this officer has destroyed three machines and driven down two out of control.

References

Bibliography

* ''American Aces of World War I.'' Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan, Archibald 1892 births Year of death missing American World War I flying aces Aviators from New York (state) People from Long Island Royal Naval Air Service aviators Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

Honors and awards

See also

References

Bibliography