Thomas Traill

Thomas Cathcart Traill
Born	(1899-08-06)6 August 1899 Argentina
Died	1 October 1973(1973-10-01) (aged 74)
Buried at	Saint Mary's Church, Heveningham, Suffolk, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy 1914–1917  British Army 1917–1918  Royal Air Force 1918–1954
Years of service	1914–1954
Rank	Air vice-marshal
Commands held	No. 14 Squadron RAF RAF Middleton St. George No. 83 Group RAF No. 12 Group RAF No. 19 Group RAF
Awards	Companion of the Bath Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross Mentioned in Despatches (twice) Legion of Merit (USA)

Air Vice-Marshal Thomas Cathcart Traill CB, OBE, DFC (6 August 1899 – 1 October 1973) began his military career as a midshipman in the Royal Navy. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and rose to the rank of captain during World War I, becoming a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He remained in the newly formed Royal Air Force after the war; by the time he retired in 1954, he had risen to the rank of air vice-marshal.

Thomas Cathcart Traill was born on 6 August 1899 in Argentina. He attended school at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osbourne and Dartmouth.

Traill joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman on 2 August 1914, when he was just four days shy of his 15th birthday. He was assigned to HMS Lord Nelson and served in the Gallipoli Campaign.

He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps to train as a pilot, and after completion of training was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on probation on 11 October 1917. He was assigned to No. 20 Squadron RFC that day as a Bristol F.2 Fighter pilot.

Traill was promoted to lieutenant on 1 April 1918, as the Royal Air Force came into existence. He was promoted to temporary captain when he was appointed as a flight commander on 28 September 1918.

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