Charles Sims (aviator)

Charles John Sims
Born	20 December 1899(1899-12-20) Bournemouth, England
Died	Post 1 January 1926
Allegiance	England
Service/branch	Aviation
Years of service	1917 - 1926
Rank	Flight Lieutenant
Unit	No. 213 Squadron RAF
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross

Lieutenant Charles John Sims was an English World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories. His most notable victory saw him shoot down an enemy plane that crashed into another, giving Sims a second win. However, Sims' Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for his courage in ground attack missions.

Early life

Charles John Sims was born in Bournemouth, England on 20 December 1899.^[1]

World War I

Sims was commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Service on 23 October 1917. He was assigned to 13 Naval Squadron (later 213 Squadron RAF). He was diligent in trench strafing and ground support missions. He also scored nine aerial victories between 9 July 1918 and war's end. His most notable wins were on 25 September, when one Fokker D.VII he downed spun into a second, taking it out also;^[2][3] and his triple win on 14 October. His final tally was a balloon and four German planes destroyed singlehanded, two enemy planes shared destroyed with other pilots, and two planes driven down out of control.^[4]

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as announced by Flight magazine on 7 November 1918:

"In a recent raid on an aerodrome this officer at 200 ft. altitude bombed the objective, obtaining a direct hit. He then descended to about 50 ft. altitude and attacked some Fokker biplanes lined up outside the hangars. He is an officer of exceptional courage and ability, possessing remarkable powers of observation."^[5]

Post World War I

Sims stayed in service postwar. On 1 August 1919, when the RAF reorganized for peacetime, Sims was granted a permanent commission as a lieutenant.^[6] On 1 January 1926, he was promoted from Flying Officer to Flight Lieutenant^[7]

The subsequent life of Charles John Sims remains unknown.

Reference

• Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
• Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1: Volume 52 of Aircraft of the Aces: Volume 52 of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Franks, Norman. Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1841765341, 9781841765341.

Endnotes

1. ^ Above the Trenches, p. 339.
2. ^ Above the Trenches, p. 339.
3. ^ Sopwith Camel Aces of World War I, p. 50.
4. ^ Above the Trenches, p. 339.
5. ^ (Flight, 7 November 1918, p. 1250.) http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%201250.html Retrieved 12 September 2011.
6. ^ (The London Gazette, 1 August 1919, pp. 9864, 9868, 9870.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31486/pages/9864; http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31486/pages/9868; http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31486/pages/9870 Retrieved 12 September 2011.
7. ^ (Supplement to the London Gazette, 1 January 1926, p. 10.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33119/supplements/10Retrieved 12 September 2011.

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