William Lancelot Jordan Captain William Lancelot Jordan DSC & Bar , DFC ( 3 December 1896 – 1931 ) was a South African World War I flying ace credited with 39 victories . Early life . William Lancelot Jordan was born in Georgetown ( now George ) South Africa , the youngest son of Mrs . J . E . Jordan . Jordan later moved to London . Military service . Jordan enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service ( RNAS ) as a mechanic in September 1916 , and subsequently volunteered to fly as a gunner . He received his pilot ' s training in 1917 and was posted to RNAS 8 Naval Squadron to fly Sopwith Triplane s . Shortly after his arrival , Naval 8 upgraded to Sopwith Camel s . Jordan scored all 39 of his victories flying a Sopwith Camel . He became the leading ace of the 25 who served with Naval 8 , and the third highest scoring ace ever on Sopwith Camel s . Jordan scored his first victory on 13 July 1917 , driving a German Rumpler down out of control . His third through seventh victories were triumphs shared with other squadron members . One of these victories , his fourth , was achieved over German ace Adolf Ritter von Tutschek on 11 August 1917 . His string of victories was interrupted after five by his suffering a leg wound in September 1917 . He continued his success after recovering , resuming scoring on 6 December 1917 . It was only with his tenth victory that Jordan was credited with an actual destruction of an enemy , as opposed to driving them down out of control . From then onwards , he tended to score his triumphs singlehandedly , and to destroy about a third of his opponents . He had nine victories in both January and July 1918 , with scattered wins in other months . His 39th and last victory came on 12 August 1918 . RNAS 8 became No . 208 Squadron of the Royal Air Force when the latter was founded by amalgamation of the RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps on 1 April 1918 . Jordan thus scored 18 victories for the RNAS and 21 for the RAF without changing squadrons . His official score totaled 6 aircraft destroyed ( with a further 5 shared destroyed ) , and 14 ' out of control ' ( with a further 14 shared ' out of control ' ) . Jordan was removed from operations before the end of the war , and thus survived . Postwar . Jordan was married 30 November 1920 to Hazel Thorne in Kobe , Japan The wedding announcement mentions his mother ' s residence in Demerara as well as London , offering a clue to Jordan ' s postwar residence . He was killed in a car accident in the north of England in late 1931 . Citations for Decorations . Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC ) Flt . Sub - Lieut . William Lancelot Jordan , R . N . A . S . In recognition of the courage and initiative displayed by him in aerial combats . On the 13th July , 1917 , in company with another pilot , he attacked an enemy two - seater machine . After bursts of fire from both of our machines , the enemy observer was seen to collapse in the cock - pit , and the enemy aircraft was last seen disappearing among some houses . On the 6th December , 1917 , whilst patrolling at 15 , 000 feet , he saw a two - seater enemy aircraft at 10 , 500 feet , aud dived on him , firing about thirty rounds . After falling over to the left , enemy aircraft went down vertically . He has also been instrumental in bringing down other enemy machines . Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC ) Bar Flt . Lieut . William Lancelot Jordan , D . S . C . , R . N . A . S . For skill and determination when leading offensive patrols . On the 6th January , 1918 , when on offensive patrol he observed ten Albatross scouts . The enemy dived and spread out , and Flt . Lieut . Jordan , in conjunction with another pilot , attacked one , into which he fired at close range , sending it down in a side - slipping dive . Distinguished Flying Cross ( DFC ) Lieut . ( Hon . Capt . ) William Lancelot Jordan , D . S . C . ( late R . N . A . S . ) . A brilliant and most gallant leader who has already been awarded the D . S . C . and Bar for distinguished services and devotion to duty . He has led numerous offensive patrols into action , displaying at all times marked ability , determination and dash . He is an ideal Squadron Commander who has personally accounted for twenty - five enemy machines .