Cecil Frederick King Captain Cecil Frederick King ( 19 February 1899 – 24 January 1919 ) , Military Cross , Distinguished Flying Cross , French Croix de Guerre was a World War I fighter ace credited with 22 aerial victories . Early life . Cecil Frederick King was born to Frederick Hamilton King and Norah Carter King at Seven Oaks , Kent , England , the third of their four children . He attended Verites , Charterhouse School , and became a member of the Officers Training Corps there in 1912 . At the beginning of World War I , he was living in Chelmsford . He joined the Essex Regiment Officers Training Corps as a private . He broke an arm in April 1915 , which slowed his training . Aerial service . King joined the Royal Flying Corps in February , 1917 . In the fall of 1917 , he was assigned to No . 43 Squadron RFC to fly Sopwith Camel s . In conjunction with fellow ace Lieutenant William MacLanachan , he drove down an Albatros D . III out of control on 12 November 1917 . King did not score again until February 1918 ; in the latter half of the month , he ran off a string of three more enemy craft driven down out of control , then became an ace by destroying an Albatros D . V on the 26th . By March 1918 , he had advanced to B Flight Commander . On 22 March 1918 , he was awarded the Military Cross . He also scored three more times in March . He won the Croix de Guerre in July 1918 for strafing and bombing enemy troops during the Second Battle of the Marne . On 3 August 1918 , King added a Distinguished Flying Cross to his medals . By 8 August , his tally had grown to 19 victories , including eight straight in Camel no . D1864 . He then switched to Sopwith Snipe no . E8031 for his final three victories . A summary of King ' s triumphs shows he singlehandedly destroyed eight enemy aircraft ( including one burned ) , shared two other destructions with other pilots , drove down seven enemy by himself , and cooperated with other pilots in driving down five others . Death . King died in a midair collision on 24 January 1919 over Sedgeford , Norfolk , while serving as a combat instructor with 33 Squadron . His death notice stated his parents lived at Springfield Dukes , Chelmsford . Honours and awards . T . / 2nd Lt . Cecil Frederick King , Gen . List and R . F . C . For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty . On five occasions during a period of three months he has sent down four enemy machines completely out of control , and has destroyed one other . Later , under very adverse weather conditions he carried out a low reconnaissance , during which he engaged troops in a station , causing several casualties , fired into a body of the enemy entering a village from a height of 50 feet , attacked four gun limbers , causing the teams to stampede , and finally dived on to a parade of troops , who scattered in all directions . He has displayed exceptional daring and skill , which , combined with a splendid dash and initiative , have set a fine example to his squadron . 2nd Lt . ( temp . Capt . ) Cecil Frederick King , M . C . He is a fine leader who at all times shows great gallantry and skill in manoeuvring ; his energy and keenness have brought his flight to a high standard of efficiency . He frequently descends to low altitudes to obtain good results from bombing , and shooting , and on several occasions he has brought down enemy aeroplanes .