Owen Scholte
| Owen John Frederick Scholte | |
|---|---|
| Born |
22 June 1896 St. John's Wood, London, England |
| Died | 30 July 1918 (aged 22) Abbeville, France |
| Buried | Saint-Riquier British Cemetery, Somme, Picardy, France (50°08′01″N 1°56′32″E / 50.13361°N 1.94222°ECoordinates: 50°08′01″N 1°56′32″E / 50.13361°N 1.94222°E) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1915–1918 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | |
| Battles/wars | World War I • Western Front |
| Awards | Military Cross |
Captain Owen John Frederick Scholte MC (22 June 1896 – 30 July 1918) was a British flying ace of the First World War, credited with eight aerial victories before his death in an automobile accident.
Scholte was born in St. John's Wood, London, the second son of Dutch-born Savile Row tailor Frederick Petrus Scholte, and his wife Emma (née Lewellen). He attended Mill Hill School, London, from 1909 to 1912.
Scholte was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the infantry on 20 March 1915, and served in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 June 1916, and was transferred to the General List when seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and appointed a flying officer on 5 June.
Scholte first served in No. 18 and No. 51 Squadrons, before transferring to No. 48 Squadron to fly the Bristol F.2 two-seater fighter. His first aerial victories came on 2 May 1917, when he and observer/gunner Air Mechanic 2nd Class F. W. Dame, accounted for two Albatros D.IIIs over Biache-Vitry. His next two victories were gained with observer/gunner Second Lieutenant Alexander Merchant, driving down an Albatros D.III over Brebières on 29 June, and destroying an Albatros D.V east of Cambrai on 6 July. On 13 July he and Lieutenant Alan Light drove down an Albatros D.V over Slype, and on 5 September, with Second Lieutenant G. R. Horsfall, he drove down another D.V over Mariakerke.
Scholte's award of the Military Cross was gazetted on 14 September 1917. His citation read:
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