Captain Frank Godfrey was an English World War I 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...

 credited with 12 victories.

Early life and service

Frank Godfrey was born in Godalming, Surrey, on 16 August 1889. After schooling, he became an accountant. He also served as an assistant secretary to his local alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

. Godfrey joined the Public Works Volunteers of the MIddlesex Regiment. 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...

.

World War I aerial service

Godfrey was assigned to 20 Squadron on 3 March 1918 as an observer/gunner on 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...

s. He manned the guns in the rear cockpit for Captain Thomas Percy Middleton

Thomas Percy Middleton

Captain Thomas Percy Middleton , Distinguished Flying Cross was an English World War I fighter ace credited with 27 victories while flying a two seated fighter.-Early life:...

 when they scored double victories on 17 April, 3 May, and 8 May 1918. Godfrey scored five more wins in June, and a final victory over a German 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...

 on 29 July 1918. His final tally was ten German fighters destroyed, and two driven down out of control.

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.

Endnotes