Harold Anthony Oaks

Harold Anthony Oaks
Nickname(s)	"Doc"
Born	12 October 1896 Hespeler, Ontario, Canada
Died	21 July 1968 Toronto, Canada
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Aviation
Rank	captain
Unit	No. 48 Squadron RAF
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross
Other work	Pioneering pilot and geologist in Canada

Captain Harold Anthony Oaks was a Canadian-born World War I flying ace credited with 11 confirmed aerial victories. Upon his return to Canada, his extensive pioneering activities as an aviator/geologist earned him enshrinement in the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Harold Anthony Oaks was born in Hespeler, Canada, and reared in Preston, Ontario. At 18 years of age, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service in World War I. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.

By May 1918, Oaks had been trained and was posted to 48 Squadron as a Bristol F.2 Fighter pilot. He scored his first two aerial victories on 21 May 1918, in two separate combats. At 1815 hours, he drove a German Fokker Triplane down out of control over Carnoy, France. At 1853, he destroyed a second Triplane a mile north of Mericourt. On 10 June, he joined Frank Ransley, Charles Steele, and John Drummond in burning an Albatros D.V fighter in midair over Roye. On 25 June, he drove down a Fokker D.VII out of control. He won twice in separate combats on 2 July 1918; he destroyed one Pfalz D.III over Foucaucourt, and another over Soyecourt.

The new ace scored a double victory on 24 July, sending down two Fokker D.VIIs down out of control. On 3 August, he was credited with the capture of an Albatros reconnaissance machine at Aveluy, France. He completed his victory list with a double win on 5 September 1918, when he burned a Fokker D.VII and drove another down out of battle. Oaks' final tally included two shared wins in the destruction of enemy planes, three others destroyed singlehanded, an opposing plane captured, and five others driven down out of control.

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