William Ernest Staton Air Vice - Marshal William Ernest Staton CB , DSO & Bar , MC , DFC & Bar ( 27 August 1898 – 22 July 1983 ) was a British airman who began his career as a First World War flying ace credited with 26 victories . He was transferred to the Royal Air Force on its creation and remained in the RAF during the inter - war years . During the Second World War he served in England and pioneering the bombing technique of using pathfinders to mark targets . He then served in the Far East before becoming a Japanese prisoner of war . After the war he returned to Great Britain and the RAF where he reached air rank and captaining the British Olympic Shooting Team . Early Service . William Ernest Staton began military service as a soldier in the Artists Rifles , a volunteer battalion popular with graduates of Britain ' s public schools and universities . About two thirds of the 15 , 000 men who passed through the battalion in World War I became officers somewhere in the British military . Staton passed from the ranks of the Artists Rifles to a cadet ' s position in the Royal Flying Corps . He had been commissioned a Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Artists Rifles on 4 May 1917 . He became a Flying Officer with effective rank of Second Lieutenant on 21 September 1917 . Staton was posted to No . 62 Squadron at the end of flying training early in 1918 . Aerial service in World War I . On 13 March 1918 , 12 Bristol F . 2 B two - seated fighters of 62 Squadron inadvertently engaged at least 30 German fighters southeast of Cambrai , France . Staton was piloting one of the Bristols with Lieutenant Horace E . Merritt as his observer , and he claimed his first two aerial victories . He then flamed a Fokker Dr . I on 21 March and scored a triple triumph on 26 March to become an ace . He was commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant on 1 April on the same day the Royal Flying Corps was incorporated into the Royal Air Force . After scoring two victories in April and a double on 3 May , he was promoted to Temporary Captain and appointed a flight leader with the squadron . By the time he was awarded the Military Cross on 22 June 1918 he had 17 claims to his credit . Fifteen of these wins were shared with observer / gunner Lieutenant John Rutherford Gordon making Gordon an ace in his own right . Staton eventually claimed a total of 26 , the final score coming on 24 September 1918 . Eight of his last nine victories came with Lieutenant Leslie Mitchell as Observer / gunner . In all , Staton had four observers fly with him , and all four became aces , though Merritt and Sergeant William Norman Holmes scored most of their victories with other pilots . Staton ' s final victory roll comprised ( in conjunction with his gunners ) two enemy fighters shot down in flames , fourteen more enemy aircraft destroyed , a Pfalz D . XII captured , and an additional nine enemy planes ' out of control ' . Staton had received a Distinguished Flying Cross on 21 September 1918 ; a Bar in lieu of a second award would eventually follow , after the war ' s end , on 3 December . Staton was wounded in the leg by an explosive bullet during combat east of Cambrai on 24 September 1918 . Recovering from this wound , he sat out the rest of the war . He also had a scarred head from a wound inflicted at an officers ' mess party and the nickname of " Bull " . Service between the wars . Staton remained in the Royal Air Force after the war with a permanent commission as a lieutenant on 1 August 1919 . He married Norah Carina Workman on 15 November 1919 . On 12 January 1920 , he was posted to pilot ' s duties with 20 Squadron . On 30 April 1922 he was posted as a supernumerary because of illness and by 16 September 1922 he had recuperated enough to be posted back to flight status . He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 1 January 1925 . In May 1927 Staton was assigned to staff duty at RAF Calshot in England . In March 1928 he became an instructor . In January 1931 Staton was serving with No . 205 Squadron . In February 1934 he was posted to the Royal Air Force Depot . Later in 1934 he was assigned as Adjutant and Qualified Flight Instructor to 501 ( County of Gloucester ) Squadron , Auxiliary Air Force . Staton was promoted to Squadron Leader in February 1935 . On 15 February , he was assigned to Personnel Staff , Headquarters Inland Area . Later that year he became Chief Flight Instructor , Number 3 FTS ( Fighter Training Squadron ) . In May 1938 he was posted to fly bombers with 76 Squadron and in June took command of 10 Squadron . His size prompted the new nickname of " King Kong " . In July 1938 he was promoted to Wing Commander . Service during World War II . Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939 . In February 1940 , Staton was awarded a Distinguished Service Order . The DSO is customarily awarded for meritorious or distinguished service in combat . He is known to have flown on bombing raids during this time and been disappointed by the inaccuracy he observed . He attempted to rectify the situation by use of flares for target marking . He also suggested forming a unit dedicated to marking targets ; though he would not see it , this suggestion would eventually lead to formation of the Pathfinder Force , later raised as Number 8 Group Bomber Command . In July 1940 he was appointed to command of Royal Air Force Base Leeming . In December 1940 he was promoted to Temporary Group Captain , and to the position of Aide de Camp to the King . His next assignment was as Senior Air Staff Officer , Headquarters Royal Air Force Far East , in July 1941 , being promoted in January 1942 to Acting Air Commodore , and in February was assigned as Senior Air Staff Officer , Westgroup , Java . On 10 March 1942 he was captured by the Japanese . Staton would spend the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Japanese , and would undergo torture for refusing to disclose information to them . To punish him for his holding out against questioning , Japanese interrogators removed his teeth . Service following World War II . On 1 November 1945 Staton was appointed to command of Number 46 ( Transport ) Group . On 1 January 1946 , Staton was permanently promoted to Group Captain with a concurrent rank of Temporary Air Commodore , confirmed on 1 July 1947 . In 1947 he was appointed as Commandant , Central Bomber Establishment , at RAF Marham . In the same year , he also became Chairman of the Royal Air Force Small Arms Association ; he would continue in this capacity until 1952 . In 1948 he was made Captain of the British Olympic Shooting Team . On 5 April 1949 he was appointed Air Officer in charge of Administration , Headquarters Technical Training Command , with a promotion to Acting Air Vice Marshal , made permanent on 1 July 1950 . In 1952 he was again Captain of the British Olympic Shooting Team . In November 1952 he retired on the grounds of facilitating promotions among his junior officers . William Ernest Staton died on 22 July 1983 just before his 95th birthday . Decorations and honours . Military Cross . Citation for the Military Cross ( MC ) : " T . / 2nd Lt . William Ernest Staton , Gen . List and R . F . C . For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty . On one occasion , when on offensive patrol , he , by the skilful handling of his machine and accurate shooting destroyed two enemy aeroplanes and brought down a third out of control . In addition , during the nine days previous to this , he had destroyed five other enemy machines , two of these being triplanes . The services which he has rendered have been exceptionally brilliant , and his skill and determination are deserving of the highest praise . " Supplement to the London Gazette , 22 June 1918 ( 30761 / 7423 ) Distinguished Flying Cross . Citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross ( DFC ) : " Lieut . ( T . / Capt . ) William Ernest Staton , M . C . This officer has already been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty . Since this award he has accounted for eleven enemy aeroplanes — nine destroyed and two shot down out of control . He has proved himself a most efficient flight commander and an enterprising leader , setting a very fine example to his squadron . " Supplement to the London Gazette , 21 September 1918 ( 30913 / 11255 ) Distinguished Flying Cross Bar . " Lieut . ( A . / Capt . ) William Ernest Staton , M . C . , D . F . C . ( FRANCE ) This officer has already been awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty . Since his last award he has destroyed five enemy machines and driven down one out of control . His example of courage and resource is a fine incentive to the other pilots of his squadron . " Supplement to the London Gazette , 3 December 1918 ( 31046 / 14317 ) Distinguished Service Order and Bar . Though his award citation for the Distinguished Service Order on 20 February 1940 has not been located , the following award citation for the Bar in lieu of a second award proves he did receive the original DSO : Citation for the award of the Bar to the Distinguished Service Order " Wing Commander William Ernest STATON , D . S . O . , M . C . , D . F . C . ( 04225 ) . This officer has continued to display outstanding gallantry and leadership in recent air operations . One night in May , 1940 , he led an attack on the oil depot at Bremen . The target was very heavily defended and difficult to identify owing to the exceptional number of searchlights but , after worrying and misleading the defences for an hour , he dived and attacked from 1 , 000 feet to ensure hitting the target . His aircraft was hit by six shells , the last one of which did considerable damage but he succeeded in reaching his home base . Wing Commander Staton organises and leads his squadron on all new tasks with constant courage and his work on his station is magnificent . . " London Gazette – 7 Jun 1940