Arthur Thomas Drinkwater

Arthur Thomas Drinkwater
Born (1894-02-03)3 February 1894
Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia
Died 1972
Queensland, Australia
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Rank Captain
Unit No. 57 Squadron RFC
No. 40 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross

Captain Arthur Thomas Drinkwater (1894–1972), was an Australian-born World War I flying ace. He was credited with nine aerial victories; six of those victories were scored when Drinkwater was a bomber pilot, making him one of the rare bomber pilot aces.

Early life

Arthur Thomas Drinkwater (3/02/1894 - 2/07/[1] 1970) was born in Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia. His father's name was Alfred. When he enlisted on 16 October 1915, he declared he was a natural-born British subject, and that he was a professional soldier. Despite being not quite 22 years old, he claimed two years prior service in a Field Troop and almost four years experience in the Royal Australian Engineers. He was assigned Regimental Number 2842 and posted initially to the 7th Field Company Engineers, seemingly marked for cadre duty.[2]

World War I

By mid-1917, while in England, he had transferred to aviation service. On 20 June 1917 second lieutenant Drinkwater was appointed a Flying Officer in the Royal Flying Corps.[3]

Within two months, he began his victory string while flying bombing missions in an Airco D.H. 4 light bomber with 57 Squadron. Teamed with Frank Menendez as his backseater, he scored six victories over the next three months before being withdrawn from combat.[4]

He would return to battle the following year, as a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a fighter pilot in 40 Squadron. He would score three more wins while with them. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[4]

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location Notes
1 18 August 1917 @ 1920 hours Airco D.H.4 serial number A2138 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Courtrai Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
2 20 August 1917 @ 1130 hours Airco D.H. 4 s/n A2132 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Houthoulst Forest Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
3 21 September 1917 @ 1050 hours Airco D.H. 4 s/n A7851 Albatros D.V Destroyed Dadizeele Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
4 21 September 1917 @ 1050 hours Airco D.H. 4 s/n A7851 Albatros D.V A7851 Destroyed Dadizeele Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
5 21 November 1917 @ 1145 hours Airco D.H. 4 s/n A7424 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Southeast of Houthoulst Forest Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
6 21 November 1917 @ 1145 hours Airco D.H. 4 s/n A7424 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control Southeast of Houthoulst Forest Observer/gunner: Frank Menendez
7 17 September 1918 @ 0955 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n E5982 Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Southeast of Cambrai
8 1 October 1918 @ 1245 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n F5527 Halberstadt reconnaissance plane Set afire; destroyed North of Cambrai
9 9 October 1918 @ 0740 hours Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a s/n E4036 Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Northeast of Cambrai [5]

Post World War I

His Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded on 3 June 1919.[6] A month later, on 3 July 1919, he departed England for Australia on the Prinz Hubertus; he was expressly manifested as not part of the Australian Imperial Force.[7] While he was at sea, on 15 July 1919, he was transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force.[8]

Although Australian newspapers of the postwar era carry a few notices of a pastoralist named A. T. Drinkwater, it cannot be confirmed if this was the ace. A. T. Drinkwater died in 1970 in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia.[9] After the first world war he held a farm in Annuello, north of Manangatang in the mallee, as part of the soldier settlement scheme for returned vets. Arthur T. Drinkwater settled in the early 1920s on Geera block number 13, country karkarooc. He also appears on Annuello Block 25, county Annuello. Arthur Drinkwater was made honorary secretary of the Green Mallee Council, a group of settlers who lobbied the Closer Settlement Board with the aim of gaining compensation for those settlers who were forced off their blocks through drought and of blocks which were re-allocated due to the original allocations being too small being marginal land. Arthur T. Drinkwater was also involved with the local community in establishing the Annuello Hall. The Hall was the venue for the towns first school as well as church services, public meetings of the various local organisations (including the RAOB) and the popular Saturday night Dances where he sang with such talent to be regular and well received performer. This is at a time when long time resident, Jim Taggert, reported that on Saturday's, up to a hundred and fifty people could be seen in the main street.

References

  1. ↑ glen nigel drinkwater (grandson)
  2. ↑ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/attestation/drinkwater.php Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  3. ↑ (Supplement to the London Gazette, 13 July 1917, p. 7050.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30181/supplements/7050 Retrieved 8 July 2011. Note: Appointment as a Flying Officer customarily coincided with graduation from pilot's training.
  4. 1 2 Franks, et al, p. 63.
  5. ↑ List compiled from Franks, et al, p. 63, and http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/drinkwater.php Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  6. ↑ (Supplement to the London Gazette, 3 June 1919, p. 7031.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31378/supplements/7031 Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  7. ↑ (The (Melbourne) Argus, 7 August 1919, p. 8.) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4707932?searchTerm=%22A.%20T.%20Drinkwater%22&searchLimits=exactPhrase|||anyWords|||notWords|||fromdd=01|||frommm=01|||fromyyyy=1914|||todd=01|||tomm=01|||toyyyy=1973|||l-word=*ignore*%7C*ignore*|||sortby=dateAsc Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  8. ↑ (The London Gazette, 28 November 1919, p. 14704.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31663/pages/14704 Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  9. ↑ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/drinkwater.php Retrieved 8 July 2011.
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