Lieutenant Colonel Spencer Bertram Horn (18 April 1895 – 18 October 1969) was a British soldier and 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. Although seconded to aviation duty during the First World War, he returned to his

Dragoon Guards Dragoon Guards is a designation that has been used to refer to certain heavy cavalry regiments in the British Army since the 18th century. While the Prussian and Russian armies of the same period included dragoon regiments among their respective I ...

regiment after the war ended. Horn then served in India in the 1920s and 1930s, while his cavalry unit modernised to

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

s. Horn would serve in India during the Second World War, and retire from active duty on 3 October 1946, and from the reserves on 15 November 1950.

Biography

Early life and background

Horn was the youngest of seven children born to Penelope Elizabeth Belt and William Austin Horn. His two older brothers were born in Australia, but Horn's parents sailed back to England and landed the day before Horn was born.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), p.199.

World War I

After

passing out Syncope , commonly known as fainting or passing out, is a loss of consciousness and muscle strength characterized by a fast onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery. It is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain, typically from l ...

from the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

, as a "Gentlemen Cadet", Horn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 3rd (Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards regiment on 1 October 1914. He was promoted to lieutenant on 27 September 1915. On 29 February 1916 Horn was seconded to the

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a Regiment, corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in the World War I, First World War. Th ...

(Cavalry Branch), and was later 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 ...

, being appointed a flying officer on 3 April 1917. His first assignment after training was to No. 60 Squadron RFC, from April to November 1917; where his

flight commander A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common ...

was

Billy Bishop Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, and a ...

. Horn scored his first two victories while flying a

Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars. History Beginnings Originally formed as Nieuport-Duplex in ...

fighter for 60 Squadron on the second and sixth of May 1917. The squadron upgraded to the Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. On this new mount, Horn and William Molesworth set an

Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service () during World War I. A modified licensed version was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service (''Luftfahrtruppen''). The D.III was flown ...

afire on 5 August 1917. When Bishop transferred out of the squadron to form and command No. 85 Squadron RFC, Horn took his place as "C" Flight commander on 29 August 1917 with the acting-rank of captain. Horn went on to run his string to six victories by 5 September 1917. In October 1917 Horn was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

. He then went to instructor duty at

Ayr Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...

with the

Home Establishment A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide sheltered spaces, for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be pe ...

. He thus had over an eight-month lapse before he began scoring again as a flight commander in No. 85 Squadron; Bishop had him transferred in March 1918. Beginning on 30 May 1918 and ongoing until 17 September 1918, he reeled off seven more wins. His final tally was seven enemy planes destroyed, six driven down out of control. Horn was promoted to captain in the 3rd Dragoons on 5 December 1918, and on 4 December 1919 relinquished his temporary commission as a flight lieutenant in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

to return to his regiment.

Inter-war career

In October 1922, while based at

Sialkot Cantonment Sialkot Cantonment (Urdu: سیالکوٹ چھاؤنی) is a military cantonment adjacent to the city of Sialkot in the Punjab province of Pakistan. History It is one of the oldest and most important cantonments of Pakistan. It was establis ...

, India, the 3rd Dragoon Guards were merged with the

6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1685 as the Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carab ...

to form the 3rd/6th Dragoon Guards, and Horn was appointed a captain in the new regiment, with seniority from 5 December 1918. Horn went onto half-pay between 15 November 1922 and 15 February 1923, and the following day was seconded to the Staff, finally returning to his regiment, now based at

Tidworth Camp Tidworth Camp is a military installation at Tidworth in Wiltshire, England. It forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison. History The Camp was established when the War Office acquired a 19th-century mansion – Te ...

, Wiltshire, on 9 April 1927. In 1928 the 3rd/6th Dragoons were renamed the

3rd Carabiniers The 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1922 as part of a reduction in the army's cavalry by the amalgamation of the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) and the Cara ...

. Horn was promoted to major on 4 October 1931. The 3rd Carabiniers returned to Sialkot in October 1936, where they were converted from cavalry to tanks, joining the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

in early 1939.

World War II

The 3rd Carabiniers remained in India during the war, and Horn was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, taking command of the regiment, on 24 October 1941. On completion of his period of service in command on 24 October 1944, Horn remained on full pay as a supernumerary officer. His papers, held in the

Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum (IWM), currently branded "Imperial War Museums", is a British national museum. It is headquartered in London, with five branches in England. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, it was intended to record the civ ...

, make references to his involvement in deception planning prior to the

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and ...

and in the liberation of Norway.

Later life

Horn retired from the Army on 3 October 1946, but remained in the Reserve of Officers until 15 November 1950. He died at Aldbourne, England, on 18 October 1969.

Honours and awards

* Military Cross (18 October 1917) :Lieutenant Spencer Bertram Horn, Dragoon Guards and Royal Flying Corps. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has destroyed several hostile machines and driven down others out of control. On one occasion he attacked alone four enemy aircraft, shooting one down completely out of control. He has twice cooperated with an infantry attack, diving to a very low altitude. He has shown great skill and gallantry on all occasions." * King Haakon VII's Cross of Liberty, conferred "in recognition of distinguished services in the cause of the Allies" (16 March 1948)

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Horn, Spencer B. 1895 births 1969 deaths 3rd Dragoon Guards officers Machine Gun Corps officers Royal Flying Corps officers Recipients of the Military Cross British World War I flying aces 3rd Carabiniers officers British Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the King Haakon VII Freedom Cross British Army personnel of World War I