William Bond (RFC officer)

Captain William Arthur Bond MC & Bar (27 June 1889 – 22 July 1917) was a First World War flying ace credited with five aerial victories.[1]

William Arthur Bond
Born(1889-06-27)27 June 1889
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
Died22 July 1917(1917-07-22) (aged 28)
Sallaumines, France
Memorial
Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchKing's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Royal Flying Corps
RankCaptain
Unit40 Squadron RFC
AwardsMilitary Cross with Bar

Bond was wounded[1] while serving in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry[2] in the Dardanelles in 1916.[1] After transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, Bond was posted to fly Nieuport fighters in No. 40 Squadron in early 1917. He flew Nieuport No. B1545 to five victories in a month, beginning on 10 May and ending on 9 June 1917.[1][2]

He was appointed flight commander in July. On the 22nd, he was killed in action over Sallaumines while flying Nieuport No. B1688. Cause of his death is disputed; he is said to have either fallen to the guns of a two-seater observation plane from FA 235, or to anti-aircraft fire.[2]

After his death, his wife Aimee (later Aimée Stuart) wrote An Airman's Wife about him.[3]

Honours and awards
  • 24 June 1916 - Temp. 2nd Lt. William Arthur Bond, 1st Bn (attd 7th Bn.) Yorks. L.I. is awarded the Military Cross For conspicuous gallantry when on patrol. An enemy patrol was met and bombs were exchanged, one of which wounded both 2nd Lt. Bond and another officer, The enemy retired and opened machine-gun fire, which again wounded the other officer. 2nd Lt. Bond and Private Garnett at great risk brought him in over 200 yards under heavy machine-gun fire.[4]
  • 16 August 1917 - T./Lt. William Arthur Bond, MC, Yorks LI and RFC is awarded a bar to the Military Cross For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While on patrol he attacked at close range a hostile machine, which was sent down out of control. Shortly afterwards he attacked another, which stalled and fell sideways. On another date he flew over the lines at about 50 feet and attacked a hostile balloon, bringing it down in flames.[5]
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References

Nieuport Aces of World War 1. Norman Franks. Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-85532-961-1, ISBN 978-1-85532-961-4.

Further reading

An Airman's Wife: A True Story of Lovers Separated by War. Aimee McHardy. Grub Street, 2007. ISBN 1-904943-94-2, ISBN 978-1-904943-94-5. "Winged Warriors - Derbyshire Fighter Pilots in World War 1" Barry M Marsden Ryestone Publications 2003 ISBN 0-9509999-3-8.

Source of information
  1. William Bond, The Aerodrome website, n.d. Retrieved 12 September 2009; 3 February 2010.
  2. Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 80.
  3. Nieuport Aces of World War 1.. p. 25.
  4. "No. 29637". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 June 1916. p. 6298.
  5. "No. 30234". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 August 1917. p. 8354.
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