Dennis Waight
Encyclopedia
Colonel Dennis Edward Francis Waight was a British army professional infantryman. After being decorated for valor while serving as a fusilier
early in World War I, he flew in combat as an aerial observer until war's end. No details of his transfer and training are known; however, he was credited with 12 aerial victories, making him a flying ace
.
He continued in service both at home and in India through, and beyond, World War II, finally being retired from service for age.
, London. He was a member of Beevor House at Aldenham School
, which he attended from April 1910–December 1912. He played first string football while there.
on 22 September 1914. Waight was serving as a temporary lieutenant
when he was promoted to temporary captain on 16 September 1916 while he was serving in the Northumberland Fusiliers. He earned a Military Cross while serving with the unit; he then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
in March 1918. His Military Cross was gazetted on 3 June 1918.
Waight was assigned to 22 Squadron as an observer; he sat in the back seat of a two-seated Bristol F.2 Fighter
and manned the rear machine guns to ward off attacks from behind. On 10 July 1918, Waight scored his first victory while piloted by ace T. W. Martin; he drove down a German Pfalz D.III
fighter over Lille
.
Waight would not score again until he was involved in the British offensive at the Battle of Amiens
. On 8 August 1918, while piloted by William Frederick James Harvey
, Waight shared in the destruction of two Pfalz D.IIIs in a dogfight northeast of Vitry
; at least one of the shared wins was credited to another crew from 22 Squadron, John Everard Gurdon
and Charles George Gass
. On the evening of 11 August, he sent down a Fokker D.VII
out of control southeast of Armentières
, France for his fourth win. On the 13th, he destroyed a Rumpler
and drove down its Pfalz D.III escort out of control northwest of Cambrai
for victories five and six. The next day, a German two-seater fell from his guns, out of control southwest of Lille. Two days later, Waight destroyed a Pfalz D.III southeast of Lille. On 21 August, the victim was another unidentified German two-seater down out of control, this time over Ervillers
. The next day, 22 August 1918, the crew of Waight and Harvey scored their last victory together; teamed with other crews from 22 Squadron, they destroyed a Halberstadt
reconnaissance two-seater northeast of Bailleul
. Waight finished out August 1918 by destroying a Fokker D.VII
over Douai
while piloted by South African ace Ian Oliver Stead.
Waight would score one more victory, a week before the Armistice
; piloted by Stanley Wallage
, he drove down a Pfalz D.XII
out of control northwest of Bavay
for the final victory for both himself and his squadron. Waight's personal victory score tallied as six enemy planes destroyed, two of which were shared; he also drove down six enemy planes out of control.
Waight's commission as second lieutenant
in the Fusiliers was backdated to 22 June 1915. On 28 March 1922, his commission as lieutenant was backdated to 1 July 1917 and his precedence ranked on that day's seniority list. The following day, he was promoted to captain.
On 13 November 1929, Captain Waight was seconded from the Northumberland Fusiliers to staff duty. He vacated his appointment on the Indian Army
staff on 1 March 1931, and returned to the Fusiliers the next day.
On 11 January 1932, he was appointed Adjutant
of the Fusiliers' 6th Battalion. The next issue of the London Gazette specified that his service as Adjutant would be with the Territorial Army
. Waight was relieved from his post of Adjutant on 11 January 1936. He returned to his regimental establishment 21 January 1936. On 29 September 1936, Waight was promoted to Major
–still in the Fusiliers.
Waight.
On 16 November 1945, Waight was retained on full pay as a supernumerary
. On 28 September 1947, Lieutenant Colonel Waight was retired as too old to continue serving his nation. He was granted a retirement promotion to honorary Colonel
. His release from the Reserve of Officers, based on his age, came on 15 February 1950.
Colonel Waight died in Liskeard, Cornwall in October 1984.
Fusilier
Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation.-History:...
early in World War I, he flew in combat as an aerial observer until war's end. No details of his transfer and training are known; however, he was credited with 12 aerial victories, making him a flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
.
He continued in service both at home and in India through, and beyond, World War II, finally being retired from service for age.
Early life
Waight was reared in St John's WoodSt John's Wood
St John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
, London. He was a member of Beevor House at Aldenham School
Aldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
, which he attended from April 1910–December 1912. He played first string football while there.
World War I
Waight was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 22 September 1914. Waight was serving as a temporary lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
when he was promoted to temporary captain on 16 September 1916 while he was serving in the Northumberland Fusiliers. He earned a Military Cross while serving with the unit; he then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in March 1918. His Military Cross was gazetted on 3 June 1918.
Waight was assigned to 22 Squadron as an observer; he sat in the back seat of a two-seated Bristol F.2 Fighter
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft...
and manned the rear machine guns to ward off attacks from behind. On 10 July 1918, Waight scored his first victory while piloted by ace T. W. Martin; he drove down a German Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
fighter over Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
.
Waight would not score again until he was involved in the British offensive at the Battle of Amiens
Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens , which began on 8 August 1918, was the opening phase of the Allied offensive later known as the Hundred Days Offensive that ultimately led to the end of the First World War...
. On 8 August 1918, while piloted by William Frederick James Harvey
William Frederick James Harvey
William Frederick James Harvey, was a British flying ace in World War I credited with twenty-six victories. He was the first recipient of the DFC & Bar and was also awarded the MC....
, Waight shared in the destruction of two Pfalz D.IIIs in a dogfight northeast of Vitry
Vitry
Vitry is part of the name of several communes in France:* Vitry-aux-Loges, in the Loiret département* Vitry-en-Artois, in the Pas-de-Calais département* Vitry-en-Charollais, in the Saône-et-Loire département...
; at least one of the shared wins was credited to another crew from 22 Squadron, John Everard Gurdon
John Everard Gurdon
John Everard Gurdon, DFC & Bar, , was a British flying ace in World War I credited with twenty-eight victories.-Background:Gurdon attended Tonbridge School in Kent...
and Charles George Gass
Charles George Gass
Squadron Leader Charles George Gass MC was the highest scoring observer ace during the First World War, with a total of 39 victories scored serving as a gunner flying with various pilots...
. On the evening of 11 August, he sent down a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
out of control southeast of Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
, France for his fourth win. On the 13th, he destroyed a Rumpler
Rumpler
The Rumpler Tropfenwagen was a car developed by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler.Rumpler, born in Vienna, was a designer of aircraft when on the 1921's Berlin car show he introduced the Tropfenwagen. It was to be the first streamlined car . The Rumpler had a Cw-value of only 0.28...
and drove down its Pfalz D.III escort out of control northwest of Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
for victories five and six. The next day, a German two-seater fell from his guns, out of control southwest of Lille. Two days later, Waight destroyed a Pfalz D.III southeast of Lille. On 21 August, the victim was another unidentified German two-seater down out of control, this time over Ervillers
Ervillers
Ervillers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated south of Arras at the junction of the N17, D36 and D9 roads.-History:...
. The next day, 22 August 1918, the crew of Waight and Harvey scored their last victory together; teamed with other crews from 22 Squadron, they destroyed a Halberstadt
Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke
Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke or Halberstadt was a German aircraft manufacturer. It was formed in April 1912 as a British-German joint venture under the name German Bristol works Flugzeuggesellschaft mbH in Halberstadt. Initially the plant produced Bristol Boxkites and Bristol Prier monoplanes, but...
reconnaissance two-seater northeast of Bailleul
Bailleul
- France :*Bailleul, Nord, in the Nord département*Bailleul, Orne, in the Orne département*Bailleul, Somme, in the Somme département*Bailleul-aux-Cornailles, in the Pas-de-Calais département*Bailleul-la-Vallée, in the Eure département...
. Waight finished out August 1918 by destroying a Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
over Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
while piloted by South African ace Ian Oliver Stead.
Waight would score one more victory, a week before the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
; piloted by Stanley Wallage
Stanley Wallage
Captain Stanley Harry Wallage was a British professional military aviator. He was a World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories during 1918...
, he drove down a Pfalz D.XII
Pfalz D.XII
The Pfalz D.XII was a German fighter aircraft built by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Designed by Rudolph Gehringer as a successor to the Pfalz D.III, the D.XII entered service in significant numbers near the end of the First World War. It was the last Pfalz aircraft to see widespread service...
out of control northwest of Bavay
Bavay
Bavay is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies 15 m. ESE of Valenciennes by railway.-History:Under the name of Bagacum or Bavacum, the town was the capital of the Nervii and, under the Roman Empire, an important center of roads, the meeting-place of which was marked by a...
for the final victory for both himself and his squadron. Waight's personal victory score tallied as six enemy planes destroyed, two of which were shared; he also drove down six enemy planes out of control.
Post World War I
On 16 March 1922, LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Waight's commission as second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Fusiliers was backdated to 22 June 1915. On 28 March 1922, his commission as lieutenant was backdated to 1 July 1917 and his precedence ranked on that day's seniority list. The following day, he was promoted to captain.
On 13 November 1929, Captain Waight was seconded from the Northumberland Fusiliers to staff duty. He vacated his appointment on the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
staff on 1 March 1931, and returned to the Fusiliers the next day.
On 11 January 1932, he was appointed Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Fusiliers' 6th Battalion. The next issue of the London Gazette specified that his service as Adjutant would be with the Territorial Army
Territorial Army
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals...
. Waight was relieved from his post of Adjutant on 11 January 1936. He returned to his regimental establishment 21 January 1936. On 29 September 1936, Waight was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
–still in the Fusiliers.
World War II and beyond
On 16 November 1942, Major Waight became Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Waight.
On 16 November 1945, Waight was retained on full pay as a supernumerary
Supernumerary
A Supernumerary is an additional member of an organization. A supernumerary is also a non-regular member of a staff, a member of the staff or an employee who works in a public office who is not part of the manpower complement...
. On 28 September 1947, Lieutenant Colonel Waight was retired as too old to continue serving his nation. He was granted a retirement promotion to honorary Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. His release from the Reserve of Officers, based on his age, came on 15 February 1950.
Colonel Waight died in Liskeard, Cornwall in October 1984.
Reference
- Guttman, Jon. Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I: Volume 79 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 79 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1846032016, 9781846032011