Charles Davidson

Squadron Leader Charles Robert Davidson MC (1896 – 21 May 1936) was a Scottish World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. Biography World War I Having served as a cadet in the Officers Training Corps Davidson was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the Highland Light Infantry on 17 October 1914. He was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1916, initially as an observer, before being appointed a flying officer on 5 June 1917. Davidson was posted to No. 14 Squadron in the Middle East, scoring his first victory with them, by driving down an enemy observation plane out of control at Beit Hanun on 23 September 1917, while flying a Vickers Bullet. He then transferred to No. 111 Squadron when it was founded as the fighter unit for the Middle East, and scored his second win on 4 October in a two-seater Bristol F.2 Fighter, which he also used for four more wins, between 17 and 29 December 1917. For one of these triumphs, fellow ace Frederick John Knowles manned the guns in the rear seat. Davidson's final score was three enemy planes forced to land and then destroyed, and three driven down out of control. He left 111 Squadron on 9 January 1918.