William Stanley Jenkins Captain William Stanley Jenkins was a Canadian flying ace during World War I . He was officially credited with 12 aerial victories , having scored his first two while still on sick leave . Early life and entry into military . Jenkins was born in Russell , Ontario , Canada on 26 May 1890 . He enlisted into the Canadian military on 9 October 1915 . His enlistment papers list his next of kin as his mother , Mrs . R . S . Jenkins . Jenkins gave his profession as " window dresser " , and claimed three years experience in the militia in the First Grenadier Guards . The medical officer ' s description said Jenkins had fair hair and complexion , grey eyes , and was 5 feet 7 3 / 4 inches tall . The medical clearance was dated 1 December 1915 . The young recruit was assigned to 87th Battalion ( Canadian Grenadier Guards ) , CEF and served as a corporal in France . He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917 . A surviving memo by Jenkins gives some insight into his transition into the RFC . He was training with 87 Training Squadron in Canada , beginning perhaps as early as August 1917 , when it moved overseas . This interrruption to his training shunted him off to No . 40 Squadron RAF at Croydon , England , where he was forced to repeat some of his training . He had 39 hours 55 minutes in his pilot ' s log by 25 March 1918 . He then had to wait out bad weather and a shortage of airplanes to make his final flight . As a result , his date of rank was 1 April 1918 , leaving him shy of one day ' s seniority for promotion . World War I . Promotions and appointments . On 2 October 1917 , Jenkins was appointed Temporary Captain while still a second lieutenant . On 25 January 1918 , he was relieved of duties as captain and second in command of a siege battalion . On 1 February 1918 , he was again appointed Temporary captain , with the actual rank of second lieutenant . On 13 March 1918 , he was posted to 40 Squadron . Upon completion of training , he moved on to 210 Squadron on either 15 or 19 May 1918 ; his admission to hospital at this time may have confused the record . He would not officially return to duty until 2 August 1918 . In the meantime , on 28 June 1918 , he relinquished the rank of captain when he ceased being second in command of a siege battalion ; once again , he reverted to second lieutenant . Aerial success . Jenkins used his Sopwith Camel to destroy a German Albatros D . V fighter on 27 May 1918 . On 6 June , he teamed with fellow Canadian John Gerald Manuel to destroy an enemy reconnaissance two - seater plane over Doulieu . It appears that while Jenkins was still technically convalescent , he was not too ill to fight . He would not be discharged from hospital until 2 August 1918 . He then ran off a string of eight consecutive triumphs over German fighters during August , September , and October . On 3 October , he was injured ; he returned to duty on the 14th . The day before the Armistice , 10 November 1918 , he destroyed a DFW C . V reconnaissance plane and a Fokker D . VII . Jenkins thus ended his war with a tally of two Fokker D . VIIs set afire in flight , five other German fighters destroyed , two German recon planes destroyed , and three enemy planes driven down out of control . He had twice won the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor . Also on 10 November , Jenkins ' Officer Commanding recommended him for both promotion and decoration . The recommendation for decoration noted that Jenkins had flown some very effective ground attack missions during early November , and mentions a victory over a German kite balloon . An attachment , listing his victories , lists a victory date not seen elsewhere , on 14 August 1918 . If Jenkins was indeed a balloon buster , it seems likely he downed the gasbag on this date . List of aerial victories . See also Aerial victory standards of World War I Post World War I . Jenkins remained in the Royal Air Force postwar . On 11 December 1918 , he addressed the memo to his Officer Commanding concerning the shortage of a day ' s seniority for promotion . He would be repatriated on 6 April 1919 . Honors and awards . Award citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross : 2nd Lt . William Stanley Jenkins , Sea Patrol . An intrepid pilot who has met with much success in numerous battles . On one day last month he led three machines in an attack on seven of the enemy . He engaged in combat with four separate enemy machines , set fire to one at a height of 14 , 000 feet , and then , getting on the tail of another , fired 150 rounds into it , resulting in complete destruction . Lt . Jenkins has , on previous occasions , destroyed or brought down out of control six enemy aircraft . Award citation for a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross in lieu of a second award : 2nd Lieut . William Stanley Jenkins , D . F . C . An exceptionally skilful pilot , conspicuous for his courage and disregard of danger . Since 5 October he has accounted for four enemy aeroplanes crashed and one driven down out of control . On 10 November he crashed an enemy two - seater , and later on destroyed a Fokker , in addition to attacking enemy troops and transport with marked success .