Captain August Thayer Iaccaci, Sr. (6 June 1893 – 30 April 1980) was a US-born
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 ...
who, together with his gunners, was credited with 17 aerial victories.
Biography
He was born to
Augusto Florian Iaccaci (1857–1930) and Mabel Thayer on 6 June 1893 in
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham ( ) is a town in northern Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Part of the Greater Boston region, it is located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore of Massachusetts. At the 2020 ...
. He had a brother,
Paul Thayer Iaccaci. He attended
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, while his brother attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
.
He worked for
H. K. McCann Co. until he went to Canada and joined 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 ...
along with his older brother
Paul
Paul may refer to:
People
* Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people
* Paul (surname), a list of people
* Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament
* Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
in 1917. They both were assigned to No. 20 Squadron in Calais, France to pilot
Bristol F.2 Fighters.
He scored his first victory on 19 May 1918, over 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 ...
fighter; on 31 May, he became an ace with his fourth and fifth wins; coincidentally, his brother matched his feat with his fourth and fifth victories on the same day. By September, he ran his total to 11 destroyed, 5 (and 1 shared) "out of control". His score of 17 equaled his brother's. His usual observer was Sgt.
Arthur Ernest Newland
Sergeant Arthur Ernest Newland DFM & Bar (1882–1964) was a British World War I observer ace credited with 22 victories.
Early life
Newland was born about 1882 to Jane Newland, who was from Clerkenwell. His father William was a labourer from ...
, an ace in his own right. With the exception of one reconnaissance two-seater, August Iaccaci triumphed over German fighter planes and pilots. He was then appointed a flight commander with No. 48 Squadron in October. Late that month, an eye wound hospitalized him in Britain for the remainder of the war.
He returned home to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
on 9 May 1919 aboard the
RMS Baltic. His father died on 22 July 1930 at
Châteauneuf-Grasse
Châteauneuf-Grasse (; ), alternatively known as names are Châteauneuf de Grasse or simply Châteauneuf, is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France.
Châteauneuf-Grasse is ...
in France and named his son as his heir.
He married and had a son, August Thayer Jaccaci, Jr.
He died on 30 August 1980 in
Madison, Connecticut
Madison is a New England town, town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The town is part of the South ...
of
natural causes
In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...
.
Honors and awards
Distinguished Flying Cross
Lieut. August Thayer Iaccaci. This officer has taken part in many engagements, and he and his observer have been most successful in destroying enemy machines. A resolute and skilful airman.[Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 August 1918 30827/9200]
See also
*
List of World War I flying aces from the United States
The following is a list of flying aces from the United States of America who served in World War I.
Overview
Even before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, many Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of Great B ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaccaci, August
1893 births
1980 deaths
Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
Royal Air Force officers
American World War I flying aces
Aviators from New York (state)
Royal Flying Corps officers
Military personnel from Massachusetts
Princeton University alumni
People from Hingham, Massachusetts