Alfred Atkey
| Alfred Atkey | |
|---|---|
| Born |
16 August 1894 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 14 February 1971 (aged 76) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Buried | Springcreek Cemetery, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (43°31′21″N 79°38′06″W / 43.52250°N 79.63500°WCoordinates: 43°31′21″N 79°38′06″W / 43.52250°N 79.63500°W) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | c.1914–1919 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 2/24th Battalion, London Regiment No. 18 Squadron RFC/RAF No. 22 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War I • Western Front |
| Awards | Military Cross & Bar |
Captain Alfred Clayburn Atkey MC & Bar (16 August 1894 – 14 February 1971) was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with thirty-eight aerial victories, making him the fifth highest scoring Canadian ace. However, all those above him flew in single-seat fighters, whereas Atkey gained all his victories in heavier two-seater aircraft, becoming the highest scoring two-seater pilot of the war.
Atkey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the second of five children born to Alfred Atkey, a builder and farmer, and his wife Annie Evelyn (née Shaw). His grandfather, also Alfred, was born in Newport, Isle of Wight, in 1848, and had emigrated to Canada with his parents in the 1850s. In 1906, his family moved west to Nunebor, Saskatchewan. Atkey later returned to Toronto to work for the Toronto Evening Telegram as a journalist.
Atkey enlisted into the British Army, joining the 2/24th Battalion, London Regiment, a Territorial Force unit that was stationed in England until sent to France in June 1916. On 19 October 1916 Atkey was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the Royal Flying Corps, and was confirmed in his rank in September 1917. He was then posted to No. 18 Squadron to fly the Airco DH.4 day bomber. He and his gunners claimed nine victories between 4 February and 21 April 1918. He was then transferred to No. 22 Squadron to fly the Bristol F.2b fighter/reconnaissance aircraft in "A" Flight, paired with Lieutenant Charles George Gass as his gunner/observer. On 7 May 1918 Atkey and Gass took part in an historic dogfight north-east of Arras, known as the "Two Against Twenty", when Atkey and Gass, with John Gurdon and Anthony Thornton, fought twenty German scout aircraft. Atkey and Gass shot down five enemy aircraft while Gurdon and Thornton accounted for three. Two days later, Atkey and Gass again shot down five enemy aircraft in a single day. The next day, 10 May, Atkey was appointed a flight commander with the acting rank of captain. Atkey claimed a further 19 aircraft between 15 May and 2 June 1918, and was then was posted to back to the Home Establishment in England.
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