Henry Winslow Woollett Henry Winslow Woollett DSO , MC & Bar ( 5 August 1895 – 31 October 1969 ) was a World War I fighter ace who scored 35 victories and continued to serve in the Royal Air Force during the 1920s . Early life . Henry W . Woollett grew up in Southwold , Suffolk , England and was educated at Wellingborough School ( 1907 – 1913 ) . A doctor ' s son , he was pursuing medical studies when World War I began . He immediately enlisted and on 19 November 1914 was commissioned a second lieutenant in an infantry unit , the Lincolnshire Regiment . He then served in the Gallipoli Campaign , landing at Suvla Bay . In 1916 , he requested and received transfer to the Royal Flying Corps . He qualified as a pilot after only 3 . 5 hours flight time . His Career as an Ace . In November 1916 , he was assigned to No . 24 Squadron to fly the Airco DH2 . These early fighter planes had a rear " pusher " engine format and a forward firing machine gun with a clear field of fire making synchronisation unnecessary . It was flying one of these that Woollett claimed his first victory , on 5 April 1917 , destroying an Albatros D . III . In the summer of 1917 No . 24 squadron switched to flying the Airco DH . 5 . The DH . 5 was unusual in design with the top wing having a ' back stagger ' , behind the lower wing , to give the pilot good visibility , especially overhead . Given its lack of power ( top speed was 102 miles per hour ) and poor performance at higher altitudes , it was used more for ground attack than air combat . Nevertheless , it was while flying the DH . 5 that Woollett destroyed three more German planes and drove another down ' out of control ' . On 17 August 1917 , he became an ace , and was promoted to flight commander . He was posted back to England as a flight instructor at Eastbourne in August 1917 . On 9 January 1918 , he was awarded the Military Cross ; a Bar in lieu of a second award would follow on 22 June . He returned to combat in France in March 1918 with No . 43 Squadron , operating Sopwith Camel s . He achieved ten victories in March and was a triple ace by month ' s end . Beginning on 24 March , he began a series of 22 victories with Camel number D6402 , making it one of the more successful airframes in the war . Victories 14 and 15 were over observation balloons , considered highly dangerous targets due to their heavy anti - aircraft protection and fighter cover . Even in an era of relaxed garb and standards , Woollettt was colourful . He wore a leopardskin flying helmet and gauntlets when he flew . His airplane was equally distinctive , with the propeller spinner painted as a Native American ' s face and a dragon trailing down the length of the fuselage . He also briefly adorned his plane with white ' splotches ' as experimental camouflage to aid his balloon busting , but his superiors made him remove them . Eccentric he may have been , but he was also effective . April saw him claim six more German airplanes and five more balloons . He shot down six planes on a single day — 12 April . It was a record day unsurpassed by any pilot in the entire war . Belgium ' s top ace of World War I , Willy Coppens described Woollett ' s exploits : Woollett downed a balloon and two planes in May , an enemy fighter and two balloons in July , and finished up by destroying a Fokker D . VII to end his war with 35 victories . He had scored at least 23 of his triumphs in the same Camel , serial number D6402 , which he overturned and damaged on 21 July . His final wartime duty was a posting back to England to command a training wing . His account consisted of 20 enemy planes destroyed , ( including 4 shot down in flames ) , 4 more aircraft down ' out of control ' and 11 balloons destroyed . Post war . Woollett was awarded the French Legion d ' Honneur on 30 November 1918 , and the Croix de Guerre with Palm on 15 July 1919 . He served in Iraq during the 1920s , being appointed Squadron Leader as of 11 December 1928 . He also was Squadron Leader of No . 23 Squadron in 1930 – 1931 . One of the pilots assigned to his command was Douglas Bader , the World War II ace . Some time after that , Woollett left the service ; however , he was later appointed Acting Pilot Officer on 1 February 1941 for duration of hostilities for World War II . He died on 31 October 1969 . Honours and awards . Distinguished Service Order Military Cross & Bar Legion d ' Honneur ( France ) - 30 November 1918 Croix de Guerre with Palm ( France ) - 15 July 1919 Military Cross . — Supplement to the London Gazette , 9 January 1918 ( 30466 / 654 ) . Bar to Military Cross . — Supplement to the London Gazette , 22 June 1918 ( 30761 / 7401 ) . Distinguished Service Order . — Supplement to the London Gazette , 16 September 1918 ( 30901 / 10875 ) .