Robert A. Little
| Robert Alexander Little | |
|---|---|
Studio portrait of Robert A. Little
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Rikki" |
| Born | 19 July 1895 Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | 27 May 1918 (aged 22) Nœux, France |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–18 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
No. 8 Squadron RNAS (1916–17) No. 203 Squadron RAF (1918) |
| Battles/wars |
World War I |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order & Bar Distinguished Service Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches Croix de Guerre (France) |
World War I
Robert Alexander Little, DSO & Bar, DSC & Bar (19 July 1895 – 27 May 1918), a World War I fighter pilot, is generally regarded as the most successful Australian flying ace, with an official tally of forty-seven victories. Born in Victoria, he travelled to England in 1915 and learned to fly at his own expense before joining the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Posted to the Western Front in June 1916, he flew Sopwith Pups, Triplanes and Camels with No. 8 Squadron RNAS, achieving thirty-eight victories within a year and earning the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Distinguished Service Cross and Bar, and the French Croix de Guerre. Rested in July 1917, he volunteered to return to the front in March 1918 and scored a further nine victories with No. 3 Squadron RNAS (later No. 203 Squadron RAF) before he was killed in action on the night of 27 May, aged twenty-two.
Little was born on 19 July 1895 at Hawthorn, a suburb of Melbourne, to Canadian James Little, a seller of medical and surgical books, and his Victorian-born wife Susan. His family heritage was Scottish, and he was educated at Camberwell Grammar School and Scotch College, Melbourne, where he was a swimming medallist. He entered his father's business as a travelling salesman, and was living with his family at Windsor when World War I broke out in August 1914.
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