- Roderic Dallas
Infobox Military Person
name= Roderic Dallas
lived=30 July ,1891 – death date and age|1918|6|1|1891|7|30
placeofbirth=Mount Stanley,Queensland
placeofdeath=France
caption= Maj. Roderic "Stan" Dallas in 1918. He is wearing one of the thick fur coats used by WW1 aviators, to address the severe cold experienced in planes with open cockpits.
nickname= Stan
allegiance=Australian Army Royal Naval Air Service
serviceyears=1913–1918
rank=Major
branch=
commands=No. 40 Squadron RAF No. 1 Squadron RNAS
unit=
battles=World War I
*Western Front
awards=Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Cross & BarMentioned in Despatches Croix de Guerre (France)
laterwork=Roderic Stanley "Stan" Dallas DSO, DSC & Bar (
30 July ,1891 -1 June ,1918 ) is probably the highest-scoringAustralian air ace ofWorld War I and all subsequent wars. Dallas flew with British units, rather than the nascent Australian Flying Corps (AFC). Estimates of the number of his kills range from the official tally of 39, to 50 credited to him by some researchers. [ [http://www.australianflyingcorps.org/2004_2002/people/aces/dallasroderic.html Australian Flying Corps] - Aces] Another Australian, Robert Little, is credited with 47 kills. (The highest scoring ace in the AFC was Harry Cobby, with 29 kills.)Early life
Dallas was born on
30 July ,1891 , in Mount Stanley,Queensland . His family moved to Tenterfield,New South Wales , and later back to Queensland, at Mount Morgan, in 1898. He attended the local school, and in July, 1907 joined the assay office of the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Co. He studied chemistry and technical drawing at the technical college, during the night. [ [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080216b.htm?hilite=Roderic%3BDallas Australian Dictionary of Biography] ]ervice History
He joined the
Australian Army as a career soldier in 1913, and was an infantry officer when the war began. He applied to join the BritishRoyal Flying Corps , but was rejected. Dallas was accepted by theRoyal Naval Air Service , topping the entrance examination over eighty-four students, and began flying combat missions in France at the end of 1915. By the end of 1916 he was among the earliest RNAS aces with six victories.Dallas was one of the best known pilots of
Sopwith Triplane s, withNo. 1 Squadron RNAS . He had brought his score to 20 by August 1917. He commanded the unit from June 1917 to March 1918.Following the amalgamation of the RFC and RNAS, to form the
Royal Air Force , on April 1, 1918, Dallas assumed command ofNo. 40 Squadron RAF , flying SE5s. He scored nine more victories in March and April but disappeared on a solo mission on June 1. It was later learned that he had been killed during combat with Fokker Triplanes fromJagdstaffel 14 .Dallas is buried at the Pernes British Cemetery, France. [ [http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=118745 Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Roderick Stanley Dallas)] ]
Decorations
*
Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette: [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=30654&geotype=London&gpn=5059&type=ArchivedSupplementPage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 30654, page 5059,]23 April 1918 ]
*Distinguished Service Cross [London Gazette: [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=29736&geotype=London&gpn=8768&type=ArchivedSupplementPage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 29736, page 8768,]5 September 1916 ] and Bar [London Gazette: [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=30147&geotype=London&gpn=6256&type=ArchivedSupplementPage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 30147, page 6256,]22 June 1917 ]
*Mentioned in Despatches
*Croix de Guerre (France)References
Christopher Shores, Norman Franks & Russell Guest, 1990, "Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920." Grub Street, London. External links
* [http://www.australianflyingcorps.org/2004_2002/people/aces/dallasroderic.html australianflyingcorps.org, 2005?, "Major Roderic S. Dallas. DSO, DSC and bar, Croix De Guerre"]
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/dallas.html "The Aerodrome", 2006, "Roderic Dallas"]
* [http://www.starduststudios.com/dallas.htm Roderic Dallas page]
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