Desmond Uniacke Second Lieutenant Desmond Percival Fitzgerald Uniacke ( 18 December 1895 – 25 March 1933 ) was a World War I British flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories . He was captured after engaging in aerial combat with Hermann Göring , commander of Jasta 27 . Background . Desmond Percival Fitzgerald Uniacke , second son of Richard Gordon Fitzgerald Uniacke and his wife Cecilia Monica Lambert , was born on 18 December 1895 at 16 Tite Street in Chelsea , Middlesex , England . He was baptized at Saint Barnabas ' Church in Pimlico , Middlesex on 16 January 1896 . Desmond was one of five children , three of whom survived to adulthood . He was educated at Saint John ' s College in Hurstpierpoint , West Sussex , England . His father Richard Uniacke ( 1867 – 1934 ) was a librarian , archivist and genealogist . He served as assistant librarian of printed books at the College of Arms . Military career . There is disagreement over whether Desmond Uniacke initially served with the Royal Irish Rifles or the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers . The Supplement to the " London Gazette " of 23 December 1914 announced his appointment as temporary second lieutenant . On 23 September 1916 , Uniacke was promoted to second lieutenant . He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917 and was posted to the No . 48 Squadron . Desmond Percival Fitzgerald Uniacke is credited with thirteen aerial victories . All of them occurred while he was an observer in the Bristol F . 2b , also known as a Bristol Fighter . In addition , all thirteen were in conjunction with one pilot , Second Lieutenant Ralph Luxmore Curtis . Desmond Uniacke scored his first aerial victory from his Bristol F2 . b with serial number A7149 . He and his pilot Curtis sent a two - seater out of control over Quéant , Pas - de - Calais , France on 3 Jul 1917 . Two days later , from Bristol F . 2b ( A7153 ) , Uniacke and Curtis sent an Albatros D . V out of control over Bapaume , Pas - de - Calais . Uniacke scored his third aerial triumph from his Bristol F . 2b ( A7107 ) when he and pilot Curtis destroyed an Albatros D . V over Vitry , France on 7 July 1917 . Later that month , on 28 July 1917 , Uniacke and Curtis in Bristol F . 2b ( A7121 ) sent an Albatros D . III out of control over Ghistelles . Second Lieutenants Uniacke and Curtis achieved a double victory ( fifth and sixth for Uniacke ) on 16 August 1917 from their Bristol F2 . b ( A7151 ) . During aerial combat with two Albatros D . V aircraft , one was destroyed in flames and the other sent out of control , both over St . Pierre and Capelle , Nord , France . The next four victories ( 7 through 10 ) for Uniacke were all from Bristol F . 2b ( A7224 ) . On 20 August 1917 , Uniacke scored his seventh aerial victory when he and aviator Curtis sent an Albatros D . V out of control over Ghistelles . Only two days later , Uniacke had a double victory when he , with Curtis as pilot , destroyed one Albatros D . V and sent another out of control , over Ostend , West Flanders , Belgium . His tenth kill occurred on 2 September 1917 , when he and pilot Curtis sent an Albatros D . V out of control east of Diksmuide , West Flanders , Belgium . That victory was shared with the crew of Bristol F . 2b ( A7170 ) , pilot Lieutenant Keith Rodney Park of New Zealand and observer Second Lieutenant Alan Douglas Light of England , both of them also flying aces . On 5 September 1917 , Uniacke and Curtis , from their Bristol F . 2b ( A7170 ) , sent a DFW C out of control over Middelkerke , West Flanders . Uniacke had his twelfth aerial triumph on 14 September 1917 from his Bristol F . 2b ( A7224 ) when , with Curtis as pilot , he defeated an Albatros D . V , destroying it over Ghistelles . His final victory took place on 17 September 1917 when , with Curtis in their Bristol F . 2b ( A7224 ) , he sent a two - seater out of control over Leke , West Flanders . That was shared with the crew of Bristol F . 2b ( A7222 ) , Sergeant J Oldham as pilot and Second Air Mechanic William Walker , also an ace , as observer . On 21 September 1917 , observer Second Lieutenant Desmond Uniacke and his pilot Second Lieutenant Ralph Curtis engaged in aerial combat with pilot Hermann Göring , commander of Jasta 27 . The confrontation took place over Sleyhage , near Roeselare , West Flanders , also known as Roulers . At 0905 , their Bristol F . 2b was shot down by Göring . Curtis died later that day from the wounds he had sustained in combat . Uniacke was captured and became a prisoner of war . After the War . Uniacke married Beatrice Mary Swetenham Johnstone ( 1901 – 1975 ) , daughter of Arthur Oliver Johnstone , in 1920 in Sussex , England . Prior to his death , he resided at 7 Normand Mansions on Normand Road in West Kensington , London . His occupation was that of wine salesman . He died on 25 March 1933 in Middlesex , England . His former wife had remarried prior to his death . Her name at the time of probate on 2 June 1933 was Beatrice Mary Swetenham Hicks - Beach . She had married William Guy Hicks - Beach in 1932 .