William Ernest Staton
| William Ernest Staton | |
|---|---|
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Staton in the British Second World War propaganda film, Target for Tonight (1941)
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| Nickname(s) | Bull, King Kong |
| Born |
27 August 1898 Tutbury, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 22 July 1983 (aged 84) Emsworth, Hampshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
British Army (1916–18) Royal Air Force (1918–52) |
| Years of service | 1916–1952 |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Unit |
Artists Rifles (1916–17) No. 62 Squadron RFC/RAF (1918–19) No. 20 Squadron RAF (1920–22) No. 205 Squadron RAF (1931–34) No. 501 Squadron AAF (1934–35) No. 76 Squadron RAF (1938) |
| Commands held | Central Bomber Establishment, RAF Marham (1947–49) No. 46 (Transport) Group (1945–47) RAF Leeming (1940–41) No. 10 Squadron RAF (1938–40) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches (2) War Cross (Czechoslovakia) |
| Other work | ADC to the King, Olympics participant |
Air Vice Marshal William Ernest Staton, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC & Bar (27 August 1898 – 22 July 1983) was a British airman who began his career as a First World War flying ace credited with 26 victories. He was transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) on its creation in 1918 and remained in the RAF during the inter-war years. During the Second World War he served in England and pioneered the bombing technique of using pathfinders to mark targets. He then served in the Far East before becoming a prisoner of war to the Japanese. After the war he returned to Great Britain and the RAF where he reached air rank and twice captained the British Olympic Shooting Team.
Staton was born in Tutbury, Staffordshire, a village 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Burton upon Trent, and was educated at Guild Street School and the Science School there.
Staton began his military service as a private in the Artists Rifles in 1916, a volunteer battalion popular with graduates of Britain's public schools and universities. About two thirds of the 15,000 men who passed through the battalion in World War I became officers somewhere in the British military. Staton passed from the ranks of the Artists Rifles to a cadet's position in the Royal Flying Corps, and was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 4 May 1917. He was appointed a flying officer with the effective rank of second lieutenant on 21 September 1917. Staton was posted to No. 62 Squadron RFC at the end of flying training early in 1918.
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