Harold Leslie Edwards Harold Leslie Edwards DFC MM ( 28 April 1893 – 15 June 1951 ) was a Canadian World War I flying ace gunner , who in conjunction with his pilots , was officially credited with 21 victories . Early life . Edwards was the son of Joseph Harold Edwards and Ellen Keays ; he was born in Franktown , Ontario on 28 April 1893 . When he enlisted in the 130th Battalion , CEF on 16 December 1915 at Perth , Ontario , he was five feet eleven inches tall , weighed 168 pounds , and was swarthy with dark blue eyes . He gave his profession as chauffeur and auto mechanic . As was customary for Canadians in those days , he swore allegiance to the King of England , and contracted to serve for the duration of the war . Infantry career . He embarked to England on the troopship SS Lapland , arriving in October 1916 , and serving with the 38th Battln . CEF and received a field promotion to corporal in November 1916 , before being wounded on 8 April 1917 . Edwards was transferred to No 3 Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne with what was reported as shrapnel or gunshot wounds to the leg and shoulder . He was evacuated to England and taken on strength at the Endell Street Military Hospital , Seaforth on 12 April 1917 . Edwards was then transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Bromley , Kent . He was awarded the Military Medal on 26 May 1917 . Aviation career . Discharged from the CEF in June 1918 , Edwards enlisted in the RAF . He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant as an observer and joined No . 20 Squadron on 28 July 1918 , flying in Bristol F . 2 Fighter s . Pilots Edwards flew in action with include aces Paul Iaccaci and Captain Horace Percy Lale , Lt . William McKenzie Thomson , and Capt . Geoffrey Hooper . He was wounded in the lung on 21 October 1918 and returned to Canada on the " S . S . Minnedosa " on in January 1919 and spent considerable time in St . Andrews Military Hospital in Toronto . Of his total 21 claims , 19 were in one month ( September 1918 ) . He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross . His war time tally consisted of 18 enemy Fokker D . VII airplanes destroyed ( including one shared victory ) , and 3 more Fokkers driven down out of control . Postwar . Edwards went on the unemployed list of the RAF effective 1 June 1919 . After the war , Edwards became a car salesman . He lived in the Toronto area for the rest of his life and died in 1951 . He is buried in Franktown . Text of citations . Distinguished Flying Cross . " 2nd Lieut . Harold Edwards . ( FRANCE ) When on offensive patrol , during 16 September , this officer with nine other machines , engaged twelve enemy scouts . In the combat that ensued he destroyed one , his pilot accounting for a second , and they took part in destroying a third . In all 2nd Lieutenant Edwards has accounted for nine enemy machines , setting an excellent example of gallantry worthy of high praise . " Military Medal . There exists some confusion regarding the awarding of the Military Medal to this man . The action cited on his Medal Card for the action on March 26 , 1917 , refers to him as Private Edwards though he had been a corporal since November 23 , 1916 . A publication of Kingswood House in Dulwich , which was leased by Massey - Harris for convalescing Canadian soldiers , the Kingswood Bulletin , cites the following action : More Honours For Kingswood Men One of the most interesting items in the programme at our Empire Day fete , was the presentation of Medals won for distinguished conduct at the Front , by three of our patients . The Distinguished Conduct Medal was awarded to 107065 , Private T . N . Armit , of the 2nd C . M . R . ’ s , and the Military Medal to 787002 , Corporal H . L . Edwards , of the 38th Battalion , and to 18421 , Lance - Corporal V . Eryl , of the 52nd Battalion . Mrs . Raynolds , on pinning the coveted medals on the men ’ s breasts , in a few well - chosen words , expressed the pride and pleasure which all those connected with Kingswood experienced in having such brave men in the Home , and in hearing of their noble deeds . Needless to say , the three heroes of the day were very heartily cheered by their comrades . The brave deed which merited even a higher distinction for Corporal Edwards , is worthy of mention . During the desperate fighting at Vimy Ridge on the memorable ninth of April , the advance of his company was held up by a well - handled machine - gun and its crew of six Germans . The gun and its crew were well sheltered in a large shell crater , protected in front by barbed wire entanglements . Five separate attempts to advance in front and capture the gun were made by parties of volunteers , two at a time , but they fell one by one . Corporal Edwards and a comrade then worked their way round the flank , taking cover over the uneven shell - pitted ground , took the Germans by surprise , disposed of five by rifle , bayonet and revolver , and carried back the gun and the remaining German as a prisoner . Corporal Edwards and his comrade immediately made good use of the captured machine gun against other bodies of German troops . Corporal Edwards hails from Smiths ’ Falls , his father is Major Edwards of the 240th Battalion , and his uncle is a Captain in the same Battalion . He also has a brother a Sergeant in the Canadian Army — truly a fine family record . — From report of Resident Secretary . DFC citation . Whilst on Offensive Patrol with 9 Bristol Fighters , 12 Fokker Bi - planes were attacked on the same level over ST . QUENTIN . About 8 more E . A . joined the fight from above . These however were attacked by a formation of Dolphins which was above the E . A . A dog fight ensued , which ended in all the E . A . being either brought down or driven away . The Leader of the Bristol Fighter formation , Machine No . E2154 ( Pilot – Lt . Thomson . Observer – 2 / Lt . Edwards ) dived on 1 E . A . firing about 100 rounds at close range . This E . A . suddenly spun slowly down and crashed in some trenches N . E . of ST . QUENTIN . Lt . Thomson then saw another E . A . falling past him , obviously out of control , and , diving on it , fired about 100 rounds at point blank range . This E . A . had been attacked by Machine No . C951 ( Pilot – Lt . Strachan . Observer 2 / Lt . Calderwood ) who started it in its spin and eventually saw it crash N . W . of ST . QUENTIN . 2 / Lt / Edwards ( observer in Machine No . E2154 , Pilot – Lt . Thomson ) fired about 200 rounds with double guns at an E . A . which was diving on a Bristol Fighter on his right . The E . A . fell over and over and hit the ground near ST . QUENTIN . This is confirmed by Lt . Boulton , Pilot in Machine No . E2493 . Lt . Iaccaci , DFC . And Sergt . Howland , DFM . , in Machine No . E2213 found themselves under a Fokker Bi - plane and the Observer fired nearly a whole drum at it . Lt . H . E . Johnston and 2 / Lt . E . S . Harvey in Machine No . C4718 were attacked by an E . A . from below . Lt . Harvey fired two bursts at this E . A . which spun slowly down but was not watched all the way . This is confirmed by Lt . Iaccaci ( sub - leader of Lt . Johnston ’ s formation ) . Machine C951 ( Pilot – Lt . Strachan , Observer – 2 / Lt . Calderwood ) was attacked by five E . A . on the same level , three of which were engaged by the Observer , who put about 100 rounds into one , at 150 yards range ; this E . A turned off and dived down , leaving a heavy trail of black smoke and eventually crashed near OMISSY . A second E . A . was sent down in a slow spin over ST . QUENTIN , but could not be watched to the ground . The remainder of the E . A . broke off the fight . The leader of Patrol in E2154 ( Pilot – Lt . Thomson , Observer – 2 / Lt . Edwards ) was attacked from below and from the side and the Observer got in about 100 rounds at 50 yards range at one trying to get under the tail . This E . A . went down out of control and was seen to crash near OMISSY . Another E . A . was driven down out of control by the Pilot , but could not be watched to the ground . ( Signed ) W . M . Thomson . Lieut . ( Signed ) H . L . Edwards . 2nd / Lieut .