Alfred Haines (RAF officer)

Alfred Haines
Birth nameAlfred John Haines
BornEarly 1898
Evesham, Worcestershire, England
Died10 August 1918 (aged 20)
Vicinity of Asiago, Italy
Buried
Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension, Montecchio Precalcino, Italy
45°39′59″N 11°33′28″E / 45.6665°N 11.5578°E / 45.6665; 11.5578
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1917–1918
RankLieutenant
UnitNo. 45 Squadron RFC/RAF
Battles / warsWorld War I
 • Italian front
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Lieutenant Alfred John Haines DFC (1898 – 10 August 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.[1]

Military service

Haines joined the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet, was appointed a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 14 July 1917,[2] and confirmed in his rank on 26 September.[3]

He was assigned to No. 45 Squadron in Italy, flying the Sopwith Camel. He gained his first victory on 4 February 1918, destroying an Albatros D.V over Susegana. His next did not come until 7 June, when he set two Albatros D.IIIs afire over Arsiera. He then destroyed an Aviatik over Grigno on 23 July; and finally, on the 29th, destroyed two Austro-Hungarian Phönix D.Is over Prata di Pordenone. On 10 August 1918, he was flying at 10,000 feet and took a direct hit from anti-aircraft cannon. His body fell into "no man's land". The Austro-Hungarians returned his body under flag of truce.[4]

He is buried in Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension, Montecchio Precalcino.[5]

Haines was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was gazetted posthumously on 21 September 1918. His citation read:

Lieutenant Alfred John Haines.
During the past three months this very gallant pilot has destroyed five enemy machines, and earlier in the year he crashed another. He was killed in action on 10 August 1918.[6]

References

Notes
  1. ^ "Alfred John Haines". The Aerodrome. 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  2. ^ "No. 30221". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1917. p. 8096.
  3. ^ "No. 30344". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 October 1917. p. 10818.
  4. ^ Shores et.al. (1990).
  5. ^ "Casualty Details: Haines, Alfred John". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  6. ^ "No. 30913". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 September 1918. p. 11251.
Bibliography
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.