Thomas Traill Air Vice - Marshal Thomas Cathcart Traill CB , OBE , DFC ( 6 August 1899 – 1 October 1973 ) began his military career as a midshipman in the Royal Navy . He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and rose to the rank of Captain during World War I , becoming a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories . He remained in the newly formed Royal Air Force after the war ; by the time he retired in 1954 , he had risen to the rank of Air Vice - Marshal . Early life . Thomas Cathcart Traill was born on 6 August 1899 in Argentina . He attended school at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osbourne and Dartmouth . First World War . Traill joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman on 2 August 1914 , when he was just four days shy of his 15th birthday . He was assigned to and served in the Gallipoli Campaign . He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps to train as a pilot , and after completion of training was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on probation on 11 October 1917 . He was assigned to No . 20 Squadron RFC that day as a Bristol F . 2 Fighter pilot . Traill was promoted to lieutenant on 1 April 1918 , as the Royal Air Force came into existence . He was promoted to temporary captain when he was appointed as a flight commander on 28 September 1918 . Traill scored eight aerial victories . In the process , he had three other aces serve as his gunner / observer at various times . While in combat on 2 July 1918 , Percy Griffith Jones called out a warning from the plane ' s rear seat and Traill ducked . The German fighter behind them killed Jones and put a bullet through the cockpit and out the windscreen , missing Traill . Traill ' s next observer took an incendiary bullet in his leg . Leslie William Burbidge then became Traill ' s observer . On 23 October , while returning from the mission upon which Traill scored his eighth victory , Traill collided with another plane in his flight while flying at 7 , 000 feet . The accident knocked away part of the Bristol F . 2 Fighter ' s wing . As the fighter tried to spin out of control , Burbidge leaped out onto the opposite wing at Traill ' s command , to counterbalance the spin while Traill struggled for control . The resultant crashlanding hurled Burbidge onto his face , but left Traill uninjured and preserved the airplane . Both men were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this incident . Traill ' s citation read Between the World Wars . Traill remained in military service , becoming the assistant air attaché in Washington D . C . in 1919 . During this period he was sent off to join a barn - storming flying circus in the Mid West to raise funds for the Victory Liberty Loan . This was run by the United States Army Air Service under the command of Major George Stratemeyer . They travelled by train from Texas to the Canadian border , putting on twenty eight flying displays . These displays took place at race courses , sports grounds or fields . Large crowds attended as the local city authorities frequently closed all schools and colleges , and encouraged businesses to close in order to raise the maximum amount for the war loan . He returned home to Britain the following year , being assigned to experimental work beginning 18 May 1920 . He entered the University of Cambridge on 1 October 1922 , receiving a Master of Arts in 1924 . After that , he had various further domestic military assignments , as well as foreign service in Iraq , before he began attendance at the RAF Staff College on 23 January 1933 . Traill was promoted to squadron leader on 1 December 1934 . He was appointed to the command of No . 14 Squadron RAF on 16 August 1935 , moving on to command RAF Helwan , Egypt on 10 May 1938 . He was subsequently promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1938 . On 26 September 1938 , he was assigned to staff duty with the headquarters of No . 2 ( Bomber ) Group . Second World War service . On 14 May 1940 , Thomas Traill was appointed Assistant Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Bomber Command . On 11 July 1940 , he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire . A promotion to Group Captain followed on 1 December 1940 . The following year would see him command RAF Middleton St . George before moving on to the post of Senior Air Staff Officer ( SASO ) at Headquarters , No . 242 Group . As part of 242 Group ' s deployment into Northwest African Air Forces , Traill was promoted to acting Air Commodore on 21 February 1943 and appointed SASO at the latter organization ' s headquarters on 8 March 1943 . For his services there , he would be Mentioned in Despatches on 2 June 1943 . Traill was appointed Director of Air Tactics on 28 February 1944 , and selected as the RAF ' s Liaison Officer to the United States Army Air Forces ' Eighth Air Force that same year . He was made of Officer of the American Legion of Merit on 11 April 1944 , and was again Mentioned in Despatches on 8 June 1944 . Post Second World War service . On 1 September 1945 , Traill became an acting Air Vice - Marshal and was granted command of No . 83 Group RAF . He moved to command of No . 12 Group RAF on 5 May 1946 . He was apppinted an Officer of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath on 1 January 1948 . One year later , he was confirmed as an Air Vice - Marshal . After a period as Director - General of Personnel that began on 25 April 1949 , he was again appointed to command on 18 February 1952 , this time as Air Officer Commanding No . 19 ( Reconnaissance ) Group . Traill retired on 21 September 1954 , having served for 40 years . He died on 1 October 1973 , and was buried in Saint Margaret Churchyard , Heveningham , Suffolk , England .