Charles George Gass
| Charles George Gass | |
|---|---|
| Born |
18 April 1898 Chelsea, London, England |
| Died | March 1977 (aged 78) Fulham, London, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
British Army Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | ca 1916–1919 1925–1928 1940–1954 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Military Cross |
London Regiment
Royal Flying Corps
Squadron Leader Charles George Gass MC (18 April 1898 – March 1977) was the highest scoring observer ace during the First World War, with a total of 39 victories (16 solo) scored serving as a gunner flying with various pilots. After working in the Post Office between the wars, he was recalled to the Royal Air Force in early 1940.
Gass was born in Chelsea, London in April 1898. He originally joined the 2/24th Battalion, London Regiment of the Territorial Force and became a sergeant, the rank he held when he first entered a theatre of war on 25 June 1916. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in 17th Battalion, London Regiment, and attached to the Royal Flying Corps from 1917. On 26 March 1918, he was assigned to No. 22 Squadron as an observer on Bristol F.2bs, flying in France. The two-seater "Brisfit" had a maximum speed of 123 mph, which made it as fast as or faster than most enemy fighters, and was manoeuvrable to boot. It had a forward-pointing Vickers machine gun for the pilot, and one or two Lewis machine guns that could be slid around on their Scarff ring mount by the observer/gunner to cover a wide field of fire.
Gass soon showed his proficiency with the Lewis guns. He began by driving an Albatros D.V down out of control on 22 April 1918. Then he began one of the most spectacular months in World War I aerial warfare.
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Wikipedia