Frederick Stanley Gordon

Lieutenant Frederick Stanley Gordon was a World War I flying ace from New Zealand. While serving in Britain's Royal Air Force, he scored nine aerial victories as a fighter pilot.

Frederick Stanley Gordon
Nickname(s)	"Freddie"
Born	(1897-10-29)29 October 1897
Died	27 July 1985(1985-07-27) (aged 87)
Allegiance	New Zealand
Service/branch	Aviation
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	No. 74 Squadron RAF
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross, Belgian Croix de guerre

Early life

Frederick Stanley Gordon was born in New Zealand on 29 October 1897.[1]

World War I

Gordon served in the Royal Air Force. By mid-1918, he was assigned to 74 Squadron as a fighter pilot. He began a nine victory winning streak on 2 August 1918 that was capped with his second ballon busting mission on 30 October 1918. He would be granted no military honors during the war.[2]

List of aerial victories

No.	Date/time	Aircraft	Foe	Result	Location	Notes
1	2 August 1918 @ 0930 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a serial number D3438	LVG reconnaissance plane	Captured	Dickebusch	Victory shared with George Gauld
2	16 August 1918 @ 0830 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n D3438	Fokker D.VII	Destroyed	Messines
3	16 August 1918 @ 0830 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n D3438	Fokker D.VII	Driven down out of control	Messines
4	16 August 1918 @ 1250 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n D3438	Rumpler reconnaissance plane	Destroyed	East of Kemmel Hill	Victory shared with Harold Goodman Shoemaker
5	22 August 1918 @ 0550 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n D3438	LVG reconnaissance plane	Driven down out of control	Estaires
6	4 September 1918 @ 0805 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n E1978	Observation balloon	Destroyed	South of Roulers
7	28 October 1918 @ 1445 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a	Fokker D.VII	Destroyed	Northwest of Wortegem	Victory shared with Andrew Kiddie Gordon and another pilot
8	28 October 1918 @ 1450 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a	Fokker D.VII	Driven down out of control	Wortegem
9	30 October 1918 @ 0830 hours	Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a	Observation balloon	Destroyed	Quaremont	[2][3]

Post World War I

On 3 June 1919 Gordon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[4] On 15 July 1919 he was awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre.[5]

Nothing more is known of him than the fact he died on 27 June 1985.[2][3]

Endnotes

1. "Frederick Stanley Gordon". Theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
2. "Frederick Stanley Gordon". Theaerodrome.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
3. Shores et al, p. 172.
4. "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 3 JUNE, 1919". London-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
5. "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 JULY, 1919". London-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2016.

References

• Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.