Alexander MacDonald Shook Major Alexander MacDonald Shook was a Canadian World War I flying ace . During his stint with the Royal Naval Air Service , he was credited with 12 official aerial victories . Early life . Shook was born in Ontario , Canada on 2 December 1888 ; the exact town is given as either Erindale or Tioga . He joined the Royal Naval Air Service . At 28 years of age when he reported for duty , he was somewhat older than the majority of his fellow pilots . World War I . On 15 November 1915 , Shook was awarded Aviator ' s Certificate number 2056 at the completion of his pilot ' s training on a Curtiss biplane earned at their school in Toronto . He first flew Sopwith two - seater airplanes for No . 5 Naval Wing after his training . " A " Squadron of 5 Wing became No . 4 Squadron RNAS in December 1916 , being equipped with Sopwith 1 1 / 2 Strutter s and Sopwith Pup s . Shook was transferred to 4 Naval as a founding member and Flight Commander . Flying one of their Pups , serial numbered N6200 but dubbed " Bobs " , he scored his first aerial victory during Bloody April , 1917 , driving an Albatros D . II down out of control on the 24th . On 9 May , he would use the same Pup to share a victory over a German reconnaissance plane ; Langley Frank Willard Smith was the other victorious pilot . Three days later , Shook scored his third and last win in " Bobs " , downing a seaplane offshore of Zeebrugge . He then upgraded to a Sopwith Camel . On 5 June 1917 , Shook became the first pilot from Naval 4 to score a victory in one of the new Camels ; he destroyed a German Albatros D . III and drove down a two - seater reconnaissance plane above Ostend to become an ace . A month later , on 4 July , he was credited with destroying a Gotha G bomber although the German records do not acknowledge the loss . His efforts earned him a " Croix de guerre " from a grateful French government on 20 July 1917 . He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 11 August 1917 ; the accompanying citation read : " " For exceptional gallantry and remarkable skill and courage whilst serving with the R . N . A . S . at Dunkirk during May and June , 1917 , in repeatedly attacking and destroying hostile aircraft . " " On 18 August 1917 , he was credited with a win over an Albatros D . V . He would score once more in 1917 , being credited with victory over an Albatros D . III on 21 October , he was wounded in action during this dogfight . He would not return to action until January 1918 . On 1 January 1918 , King George V appointed Shook as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order " " in recognition of . . . services in the prosecution of the war . " " In March 1918 , Shook resumed his winning ways . On the 11th , he was credited with an Albatros D . V ; on the 22nd , he downed three more over Slype , including German ace Bertram Heinrich . This ended his victory tally ; it included seven enemy airplanes destroyed and five driven down out of control . Shook added an Air Force Cross to his awards after the RNAS was subsumed into the new Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 . Shook emerged from the war as a major . Post World War I . Shook died in Bala , Canada on 30 May 1966 .