Lieutenant Ernest Hardcastle (31 December 1898 – November 1973) was an English 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 ...

observer/gunner credited with twelve aerial victories. He would return to military service during World War II.

Early life and service

Ernest Hardcastle was born on 31 December 1898 in

Dudley Hill Dudley Hill is a village in the borough of City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England and is in Tong ward. History There are a few mentions of the name Dudley Hill prior to the Industrial Revolution. Religious history John Wesley (1703– ...

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, England.Franks (1997), et al, p. 22. Hardcastle worked for the Bradford Chamber of Commerce until World War I began. He enlisted in the

Yorkshire Regiment The Royal Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated R YORKS) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, created by the amalgamation of three historic regiments in 2006. It lost one battalion as part of the Future of ...

, but 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 August 1917,Guttman & Dempsey (2007), p. 51. and after initial training as a cadet, was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 30 January 1918. He was assigned to

No. 20 Squadron RAF No. 20 Squadron is the Royal Air Force's Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for ground-based Tactical Air Command and Control, and Air Battle Management. It is part of the RAF's Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS) and is based at RAF ...

as an observer/gunner on 18 April 1918.

World War I aerial service

Hardcastle's winning streak began on 8 May 1918 and ended on 30 July 1918, with all but one victory being over an enemy fighter aircraft. His final claim tally was nine destroyed and three 'driven down out of control'. The pilots aiding him included fellow aces Lieutenants

Victor Groom Air Marshal Sir Victor Emmanuel Groom, (4 August 1898 – 6 December 1990) was a senior officer in the British Royal Air Force and a flying ace of the First World War credited with eight aerial victories. He rose to become a consequential par ...

and August Iaccaci, as well as Captains Douglas Graham Cooke, and

Horace Percy Lale Group Captain Horace Percy Lale (8 April 1886 – 5 April 1955) was a Royal Air Force officer and British World War I flying ace credited with 23 victories. First World War Lale was commissioned a temporary second lieutenant in the Royal Flyi ...

. Hardcastle was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

on 2 November 1918. On 20 December 1918 he relinquished his commission for reasons of ill health resulting from military service. Hardcastle was transferred to the unemployed list by the Royal Air Force on 13 February 1919.

World War II

Hardcastle returned to military service in World War II, being commissioned as a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

(on probation) in the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( ...

on 30 September 1940. On 30 September 1941 he was confirmed in his appointment as a

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

. On 1 January 1943 he was promoted to flight lieutenant. On 9 June 1945, he again relinquished his commission on account of medical unfitness.

Honours and awards

;Distinguished Flying Cross :Lieutenant Ernest Hardcastle ::This officer displayed great courage and skill on two occasions when he was observer in company with Lieut. Groom. While on patrol their formation of eight attacked twenty-five hostile scouts; he and Lieut. Groom accounted for two. On another occasion, when with the same officer, they were attacked by twelve scouts, two of these they shot down.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory (1997). ''Above the War Fronts: the British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914-1918: Volume 4 of Fighting Airmen of WWI Series: Volume 4 of Air Aces of WWI.'' Grub Street. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardcastle, Ernest 1898 births 1973 deaths Military personnel from Bradford Green Howards soldiers Royal Flying Corps officers Royal Air Force personnel of World War I British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Royal Air Force officers British Army personnel of World War I