- Mansell Richard James
-
Mansell Richard James Born 18 June 1893
Leamington, Ontario, CanadaDied ca 2 June 1919
Unknown; disappeared in New EnglandAllegiance King George V of the British Empire Service/branch Aviation Rank Captain Unit No. 45 Squadron RAF Awards Distinguished Flying Cross Captain Mansell Richard James was a Canadian-born World War I flying ace credited with 11 confirmed aerial victories. He disappeared in spectacular fashion after setting a postwar aviation record for prize money, and was the object of repeated searches throughout the years.
Contents
World War I
James was from Watford, Ontario, and enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps on 22 September 1917. After completion of training, he was posted to 45 Squadron in Italy on 12 February 1918 as a Sopwith Camel pilot. On 3 June 1918, he scored his first aerial triumph, destroying an enemy Albatros D.V over Feltre. Four days later, he destroyed two Albatros D.IIIs, one over San Marino and the other over Colicella. His next two victories over Albatros D.Vs that he destroyed east of Feltre on 20 July made him an ace.[1]
On 5 August 1918, he destroyed the only reconnaissance plane of his career, an AEG. The next day, he sent down two Albatros D.Vs over Segusino and destroyed a third. On the last day of August, he rounded out his victory string by destroying two Albatros D.Vs near Arsiero.[2]
On 23 September 1918, Lieutenant James was promoted to temporary captain.[3] He also won a Distinguished Flying Cross, with the following citation:
An excellent scout pilot who has at all times shown great skill, courage and determination in attacking enemy machines. During a short period of time he has destroyed nine enemy aeroplanes.[4][5]
Post World War I
On 6 May 1919, James surrendered his commission in the Royal Air Force upon becoming unemployed.[6] He shipped out to the United States. On 28 May 1919 James flew what was reputedly the first Sopwith Camel in the United States from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Boston, Massachusetts. He was competing for a $1,000 prize offered by the Boston Globe for fastest flight between the two cities. At 115 miles per hour despite headwinds, he was much faster than a prior competitor's 90 mph gait. After landing at a field eight miles north of Boston, James departed again at 6 PM, supposedly for a stop at Mitchel Field on Long Island en route to Atlantic City, both of which are southwest of Boston. He buzzed and frightened spectators watching his takeoff.[7]
It was Captain James' intent to follow railroad tracks from Boston on his return flight. He apparently guided on the wrong set of railroad tracks,[8] as he later landed at Tyringham, Massachusetts (near Lee), about 100 air miles west of Boston, to have his plane serviced.[9] On 29 May, he was reportedly seen at 1130 AM at an altitude of about 5,000 feet over Connecticut after departing Lee, Massachusetts; he apparently had a sound engine at that sighting and was headed southeast.[10][11]
A more reliable report tells a somewhat different story. On the morning of 2 June 1919, he took off from Tyringham toward the south, then turned west, away from Boston. He drew a crowd of spectators for his departure because the local populace was unused to airplanes. Because of his direction of flight, they thought he might be returning to the field he departed, but he did not reappear.[12]
On 5 August 1919, a berry picker in a ravine on Mount Riga outside Millerton, New York found airplane wreckage. It was speculated to be James' plane.[13]
Years later, on 17 December 1925 near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, several search parties went into woods trying to relocate plane wreckage discovered by a lost hunter from Brooklyn several days previously. They were spurred by a reward offer of $500 posted by James's uncle six years previously.[14][15]
On 19 May 1927, U. S. Coast Guard Boat 290 found an airplane wing floating in Fort Pond Bay, Long Island Sound. Captain James's brother, E. D. James, wrote a letter requesting a description of the wing, hoping to identify it.[16]
Despite extensive searches for him spurred partially by rewards offered, no sign of James has ever been found.[17]
See also
- Flying aces
- No. 45 Squadron RAF
- List of World War I aces credited with 11–14 victories
Endnotes
- ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/james.php Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/james.php Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ^ (The London Gazette, 15 October 1918) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30953/pages/12126 Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Flight, 7 November 1918) http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%201248.html?search=Mansell%20Richard%20James Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ^ (Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 November 1918) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30989/supplements/12967 Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (The London Gazette, 27 June 1919) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31422/pages/8113 Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Lowell Sun, 29 May 1919) as reprinted at http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/newspaper-articles/33244-360-mile-flight.html Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Border Cities Chrysler News, 17 December 1925) http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mfw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dk0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4356,3079909&dq=mansel-james&hl=en Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 2 October 1930) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lxBlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zW4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1221,3596411&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Meriden Daily Journal, (Meriden, CT) 7 June 1927) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pk1IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AwENAAAAIBAJ&pg=3738,1893922&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (The Pittsburgh Press, 2 June 1919) http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GkYbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j0kEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1971,895647&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 2 October 1930) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lxBlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zW4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1221,3596411&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Toronto World, 6 August 1919) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IaokAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2SkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5792,5504811&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Ottawa Citizen, 17 December 1925) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1mYuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=odkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7062,2866612&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ (Border Cities Chrysler News, 17 December 1925) http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Mfw-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dk0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4356,3079909&dq=mansel-james&hl=en Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ^ (Meriden Daily Journal, (Meriden, CT) 7 June 1927) as reproduced at http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pk1IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AwENAAAAIBAJ&pg=3738,1893922&dq=mansell-james&hl=en Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/james.php Retrieved 10 April 2011.
People and aircraft Campaigns and battles Strategic bombing (German, Cuxhaven) · Bombing of cities · Fokker Scourge · Flight over Vienna · Bloody April · BattlesEntente Powers air services Australian Flying Corps · British air services (Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force) · French Air Service · Imperial Russian Air Force · Italian Military Air Corps · United States Army Air Service · Greek air services (Army Air Service, Naval Air Service)Central Powers air services German air services (Army Air Service, Navy Air Service) · Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops · Ottoman Air Force · Bulgarian Army Aeroplane SectionCategories:- 1893 births
- Missing people
- Missing aviators
- 1919 deaths
- Canadian World War I flying aces
- British World War I flying aces
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