Robert Kenneth Whitney DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...

 (6 December 1898 - 1983) was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 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...

, officially credited with 5 victories.

Whitney joined 60 Squadron on 21 February 1918; they were equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5as. He did not win until 7 July, when he set a DFW

Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke

Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke, usually known as DFW was a German aircraft manufacturer of the early twentieth century. It was established by Bernhard Meyer and Erich Thiele at Lindenthal in 1910, and initially produced Farman designs under licence, later moving on to the Etrich Taube and eventually to...

 reconnaissance afire. He destroyed another on the 18th. On 8 August, he scored a double victory, destroying a Hannover reconnaissance plane (a shared win with John Doyle

John Doyle (aviator)

John E. Doyle DFC was a British World War 1 pilot credited with 9 confirmed victories. He was shot down on September 6, 1918 and taken prisoner and his right leg, which had become gangrenous from a bullet wound in his ankle, was amputated at the upper thigh...

), and flaming another DFW, whose crew parachuted to safety. Whitney's last victory, tallied the following day, was the destruction of another Hannover; this was another triumph shared with Doyle.

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