Edwin Benbow Captain Edwin Louis Benbow ( 10 December 1895 – 30 May 1918 ) was an English flying ace during the First World War , credited with eight victories , comprising six destroyed and one shared destroyed , and one ' out of control ' . He was the only pilot to gain ' ace ' status flying the Royal Aircraft Factory FE . 8 exclusively . His aerial encounters with German leading ace Manfred von Richthofen , the Red Baron , were renowned . Wartime career . Benbow joined the Royal Field Artillery in February 1915 , and served for a year being commissioned a Second lieutenant on 27 May 1915 . He was appointed to be a Flying Officer ( Observer ) , effective 10 March 1916 , before being seconded to the Royal Flying Corps on 15 April 1916 . He served his first eight months in aviation as an observer / gunner . He then trained as a pilot , was appointed a Flying Officer on 7 July 1916 , and was assigned to 40 Squadron as an FE . 8 pilot . He achieved all his successes while with this squadron ; on 20 October 1916 , using FE . 8 Serial No . 7627 , he destroyed an Albatros D . II for his first win . Two days later he set a German two - seater afire over Vimy . On 16 November 1916 Benbow shot down an Albatros two - seater . On 4 December he downed another Albatros D . II . On the 20th , he felled another Albatros two - seater ; Benbow thus became the only FE . 8 ace , and No . 7627 the only FE . 8 to be involved in the shooting down of five or more enemy aircraft . On the early afternoon of 23 January 1917 , Benbow was in the midst of a dogfight when his gun jammed . While clearing his weapon , he evaded a head - on assault by the Red Baron , who went on to down Benbow ' s squadron comrade Lt . J . Hay for Jasta 11 ' s first victory . Benbow did not succeed in returning to the attack on that occasion , but on 14 February using FE . 8 Serial No . A4871 , he destroyed another Albatros D . II . His seventh win came the following day , with Benbow ' s only " out of control " victory . On 6 March , Benbow and the Red Baron clashed again . Nine F . E . 8s of 40 Squadron clashed with five " Jasta 11 " aircraft led by Richthofen . While Richthofen was attacking a Sopwith 1½ Strutter , Benbow attacked him . Richthofen ' s plane dropped out of combat and force landed near Henin Lietard with a damaged engine , spraying fuel from holed tanks , and seemingly on fire , for Benbow ' s eighth victory ( although Richthofen survived ) . On 12 March , 40 Squadron – including " Lobo " Benbow " – began the transition to Nieuport . A week later , Benbow was wounded in action by anti - aircraft shrapnel and removed from action . Benbow would serve as an instructor in his time away from the front . He was appointed a Flight Commander with the concomitant rank of Temporary Captain on 31 March 1917 , and posted to Billy Bishop ' s No . 85 Squadron in May 1918 . On the 30th while piloting Royal Aircraft Factory SE . 5 a S . No . C1861 , he was shot down and killed by Hans - Eberhardt Gandert of Jasta 51 . Honours and awards . " His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Military Cross on the undermentioned Officer . . . " 2nd Lt . ( temp . Lt . ) Edwin Louis Benbow , R . F . A . and R . F : C . For conspicuous gallantry in action . He has on several occasions displayed great courage and skill , and has destroyed four enemy machines under difficult conditions .