Fullard, Philip Fletcher

Air Commodore Philip Fletcher Fullard

It belongs to the lesser-known Allied fighter aces of World War I. He was born on June 27, 1897 in Hatfield. He attended the school of King Edward VI. in Norwich. During his schooling, he was actively involved in sports and was the captain of the school football and hockey teams. He was later a substitute on the Norwich City football team.

He entered military service in 1915 and was assigned to the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Already at this time he learned to fly at his own expense. In 1916 he applied for transfer to the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) and underwent training at the School of Aeronautics in Oxford and subsequently at the Flying School in Netheravon and the Central Flying School in Upavon. He received a pilot's license in December 1916. He initially served as a flight instructor at a school in Upavon. In April 1917 he was transferred to the front in France to No.1 Squadron RFC, which operated from Bailleul Airport.

He scored his first air victory on May 26, 1917, piloting his Nieuport 23 number B1559 and near Lompret shot down a German Albatros D. III. With the same aircraft, he won his second victory at Warneton on May 28. At the beginning of June he flew the machine Nieuport 17 number B1553 and won with him on June 4 his first "double" (two victories in one day) and on June 8 with his fifth victory became the British fighter ace. The next two victories over the aircraft Albatros D.V scored on June 14 and 15 with the Nieuport 23 aircraft number B3486. During July, he flew on the machines Nieuport 17 number B1666 and Nieuport 17 number B3459 and achieved another eight victories, mostly over letouny Albatros DV. At the end of July, he already had 15 victories and achieved a "double" three times. Between August 9 and 22, he scored another 12 victories over enemy aircraft, again mostly over the machines Albatros D.V and DFW. These victories include two more "doubles" achieved on August 9 and 15, as well as Fullard's first "triple" (three victories in one day), which he won on August 16. He won all the victories credited in August with the aircraft Nieuport 17 number B3459 and already had a total of 27 victories. In the month of September, he did not credit his account with any downing of the enemy aircraft, because he had injured eye vessels and this temporary "blindness" excluded him from active duty for a month. He continued his previous successes again in October, when he achieved another 11 air victories. During this period he flew on the plane Nieuport 27 number B6789. He achieved his second "triple" with him, when on October 17 he shot down three enemy planes at Quesnoy, Ledgehem and Moorslede. He won his sixth "double" on October 27 by shooting down DFW aircraft near Roulers and Becelaere. At the end of October, his score was 38 shot down enemy machines. In November, he won his seventh and final "double" when, on November 15, he destroyed two aircraft in two minutes Albatros D.V near Zandvoorde. This victory was his 40th and last victory in his fighter pilot career. Two days later, on November 17, he seriously broke his leg during a friendly football match between the squadrons and did not return to service until just before the end of the war in September 1918.

Fullard was apparently a child of fortune when he managed to escape imminent death several times. Once an enemy bullet shattered his glasses directly (possibly related to an eye injury in September 1917), other times he managed to land behind his own lines with a burning machine. He flew for three months in a six-member group, which during this period scored the most victories of all Allied troops in France, while suffering no loss.

The aircraft Nieuport 17 number B3459, with which Fullard achieved 16 victories had a standard silver (aluminum) color on all surfaces and the designation No. 1 Squadron RFC red or black vertical stripe on the fuselage. The interwing struts were the color of wood. Later, after the introduction of personal markings, he had a black number 2 on the fuselage.

For his courage and devotional service, he was awarded the War Cross in 1918 ( Military Cross - MC), the Military Cross (MC) Bar and the Order of Excellence ( Distinguished Service Order - DSO). He was also awarded the Air Cross ( Air Force Cross - AFC). He was later awarded the rank of commander of the Order of the British Empire (Commander of Order of the British Empire (CBE)). He became the most successful British pilot to achieve his victories on Nieuport aircraft. In the span of 174 days, he managed to shoot down 40 enemy aircraft, which in about 7 months of active service means an average of one victory each week.

After the end of the First World War, Fullard remained in service with the RAF, where he served as squadron commander and later as a fighter air headquarters. He retired after the end of World War II on November 20, 1946 with the rank of Air Commander.

After leaving active military service, he worked in senior positions in several engineering companies. He spent the rest of his life in Kent in the south of England. Philip Fletcher Fullard died on the night of April 24, 1984 at the age of 86 at Broadstairs Hospital.

Note
The sources differ considerably in the number of victories Philip F. Fullard achieved. I leaned towards sources [1], [2], [3] and [7], which equally indicate 40 victories. Other sources indicate 42 [5] and [6] or 45 [4] victories, respectively. It is possible to find data on the Internet that fluctuate between 40 and 53 victories.
Retirement is also mentioned differently in 1945-46.

Sources used:
[1] www.firstworldwar.com
[2] www.theaerodrome.com
[3] en.wikipedia.org
[4] www.wwiaviation.com
[5] www.wwi-models.org
[6] www.nytimes.com
[7] FRANKS, Norman, Nieuport Aces of World War 1: Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 33, Osprey Publishing, 2000, ISBN 1855329611

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/f/113/9/0