Frederick J. Gibbs
| Frederick John Gibbs | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 September 1899 Walsall, Staffordshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
No. 23 Squadron RFC No. 64 Squadron RAF |
| Awards | Military Cross |
Captain Frederick John Gibbs MC was a British World War I flying ace credited with 11 official victories. Post-war, he went into business. During the beginning of World War II, he took the unusual step of giving up his officer's commission in favour of joining the military in the ranks.
On 10 August 1916, Cadet Frederick John Gibbs was first commissioned in the London Regiment as a second lieutenant on probation. On 29 November 1916, temporary second lieutenant F. J. Gibbs of the South Staffordshire Regiment was appointed a flying officer in the Royal Flying Corps.
By mid-1917, he had been trained as a SPAD pilot and was posted with No. 23 Squadron in France. On 2 June 1917, he opened his victory roll when he drove down a German Albatros D.III fighter out of control. Later that month, on the 17th, he destroyed a DFW two-seater reconnaissance plane. On 27 July 1917, he scored twice, driving down an Albatros D.V fighter on one patrol and sharing in the destruction of an Aviatik recon plane with Roger Neville on another. The destruction of another DFW on 13 August made him an ace.
On 18 August 1917, he scored again, driving down an Albatros D.V. Four days after that, he destroyed a DFW over Wervicq, Belgium. On 25 August, he drove down an Albatros D.V over Langemarck. A month would pass before his next win; on 25 September, he set a German two-seater recon plane afire in the sky north of Wervicq.
On 26 September 1917, Frederick John Gibbs of the South Staffordshires and RFC was awarded the Military Cross for his valor. It would not be gazetted until 9 January 1918; the text of the accompanying award citation read:
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