Captain Charles Chaplin Banks (17 December 1893 – 21 December 1971) was a World War I

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 thirteen aerial victories. He scored a pioneering night fighter victory on 31 May 1918, when he shot down a German

Friedrichshafen G The Friedrichshafen G.III (factory designation FF.45) was a heavy bomber designed and manufactured by '' Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen''. They were used by the German Imperial Air Service during World War I for tactical and limited strategic bomb ...

bomber.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), p.61.

Early life and service

Charles Chaplin Banks was the son of Helen Agnes and Charles P. Banks; the latter owned and taught at the

Arnold House Preparatory School Arnold House was a private boys preparatory school in Llanddulas, Conwy, north Wales, known especially for its association with Evelyn Waugh. History The school was founded Arnold House Preparatory School around 1867 at 29 Parkgate Road in the ...

Llanddulas Llanddulas is a village in Conwy county borough, Wales, midway between Old Colwyn and Abergele and next to the North Wales Expressway in the community of Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-Foel. The village lies beneath the limestone hill of Cefn-yr-Og ...

, Wales. Banks was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5th (Flintshire) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (later the

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...

), on 10 December 1914, having been a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

in the Oxford University Contingent, Senior Division,

Officers' Training Corps The University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), also known as the Officers' Training Corps (OTC), are British Army reserve units, under the command of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which recruit exclusively from universities and focus on ...

. He transferred to 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 ...

in October 1916. After pilot training, he was assigned to 44 Squadron.

Aerial service

On 28 January 1918, while flying 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 ...

on Home Defence duties with 44 Squadron, he teamed with Captain

George Hackwill Captain George Henry Hackwill (22 December 1892 – 4 July 1954) was an English World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. His most notable victory was his role in shooting down a German Gotha G.V, over Essex on the night of 2 ...

in driving down and capturing a raiding German

Gotha G.V The Gotha G.V was a heavy bomber used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. Designed for long-range service and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG, the Gotha G.V was used principally as a night bomber. D ...

bomber, serial no. 936/16; a Military Cross followed. He was then sent to France to serve with 43 Squadron. Between 6 April and 31 May 1918, he reeled off five more wins; for the last of these, he drove down and captured a Friedrichshafen G bomber at ten minutes before midnight for the first victory over this type. He would destroy three more enemy fighters by 29 August, bringing his total to nine. He then switched to the new

Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe is a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of the ...

for his last three wins, ending his string on 30 October 1918. His final tally was two enemy planes captured, six destroyed, and four driven down out of control, although one of the latter was shared with Captain

Cecil Frederick King Captain Cecil Frederick King, (19 February 1899 – 24 January 1919), was a World War I fighter ace credited with 22 aerial victories. Early life Cecil Frederick King was born to Frederick Hamilton King and Norah Carter King in Seven Oaks, Ken ...

. His DFC was gazetted to him postwar.

Honours and awards

;Military Cross (MC) :Lieutenant Charles Chaplin Banks, Royal Welsh Fusiliers and RFC. :Temporary Captain George Henry Hackwill, General List and RFC. : For conspicuous gallantry displayed when they engaged and shot down a Gotha raiding London. During the engagement, which lasted a considerable time, they were continually under fire from the enemy machine. ;Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) :Lieutenant (Acting-Captain) Charles Chaplin Banks, M.C. :A brilliant and skilful airman who has been conspicuous for his success in aerial combats. On 30 October he, single handed, engaged five enemy aeroplanes and drove one down out of control. In the fight his aileron controls were shot away, but by skilful handling and with cool presence of mind he brought his machine back and made a successful landing. In addition to the above Capt. Banks has accounted for nine other enemy machines.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Charles C. 1893 births 1971 deaths Territorial Force officers Royal Air Force officers Military personnel from the London Borough of Camden British Army personnel of World War I Royal Welch Fusiliers officers Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) People from Hampstead