Phillip Scott Burge
Phillip Scott Burge, (29 March 1895 – 24 July 1918) was a World War One fighter pilot and flying ace. He was killed in action over France in 1918 after earning the Military Cross. Early life. Burge was a student at Marlborough College prior to World War I. He joined the British Army early in the First World War and was awarded the Military Medal during mid-1916. He was transferred and commissioned in the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. First World War. On 27 February 1917 Burge was commissioned as a probationary temporary second lieutenant and was appointed  as a flying officer on 24 May 1917. On 14 October, he was assigned to 64th Squadron as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 23 March 1918, when he destroyed a Fokker Dr.I triplane fighter over Bourlon Wood. One week later, he and James Anderson Slater shared in the destruction of a German two-seater reconnaissance airplane over Croisilles, France. On 1 April, he destroyed an Albatros D.V fighter over Méricourt. Promotion from lieutenant to temporary captain while on flight status came on 20 April 1918. On 3 May 1918, Burge shared  in the destruction of a Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft over Mercatel. On 16 May, Burge scored twice in the same dogfight, destroying an Albatros D.V and driving another down out of control. On consecutive days, 20 and 21 May 1918, he destroyed Halberstadt reconnaissance machines for victories seven and eight. He would not score again until 19 July 1918, when he destroyed another Fokker triplane south of Lille. The next day, Burge, Edmund Tempest, and another pilot cooperated to ruin a Rumpler over Drocourt. On 22 July 1918, Burge scored for the last time, destroying an Albatros D.V over Harnes. His  final tally was six enemy airplanes destroyed solo, three more shared destructions and two enemy fighter sent down out of control. On 24 July 1918, Phillip Scott Burge was killed in action when his plane caught fire during flight. His conqueror is generally conceded to be "Unteroffizier" Marat Schumm of "Jagdstaffel 52". Burge was interred in Dud Corner Cemetery in Loos, Pas-de-Calais, France. On 16 September 1918, Burge's award of the Military Cross was gazetted. It read: