Hugh Claye
| Hugh Claye | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tubby |
| Born |
22 June 1889 Derby, Derbyshire |
| Died | 9 August 1972 (aged 83) Chichester, Sussex |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1909–1918 1941–1944 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Unit |
Sherwood Foresters No. 62 Squadron RFC |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Military Cross Efficiency Decoration |
Hugh Claye MC, ED (22 June 1889 – 9 August 1972) was a British flying ace of World War I. In conjunction with his pilots he was credited with 11 aerial victories (four destroyed, seven 'driven down out of control') while flying as an observer/gunner in Bristol F.2 Fighter airplanes.
Hugh Claye was the third son of Edgar Havelock Claye and Mary (née Pickthall) Claye, of Derby.
Claye was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) on 14 June 1909, and was brought into the Sherwood Foresters from the supernumerary list on 1 November 1909. He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 June 1912. On 21 May 1915, he was promoted to temporary captain. His commission was confirmed in the rank of captain in the Sherwood Foresters on 2 July 1916, with his date of seniority set at 1 June 1916.
Claye was transferred to No. 62 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps in December 1917. He was paired with Captain Geoffrey Forrest Hughes as his pilot. The pair opened their victory list on 21 February 1918, destroying a German two-seater reconnaissance plane near Armentières. They would score 11 victories apiece in their dual career, the last being a Rumpler driven down out of control on 10 May 1918. Their final tally would be two enemy planes set on fire and destroyed, two more destroyed, and seven driven down 'out of control'. Their most notable success was sharing in the shooting down and wounding of Jasta 11's Lothar von Richthofen on 13 March, force-landing his Fokker Dr.I triplane
He was officially seconded to the RFC's General List on 16 March 1918, just before the RFC became the Royal Air Force. His rank of captain was confirmed in April, and back-dated to 27 January 1918 On 19 May 1918, Claye switched pilots to fly with Lieutenant H. A. Clarke. They were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, although Leutnant August Delling of Jasta 34 also staked an unsuccessful claim. Claye sat out the rest of the war as a prisoner of war, and was repatriated on 31 December 1918. He left the RAF on 10 April 1919 and retired to live with his wife. He retained an Honorary Captaincy in the Sherwood Foresters.
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