List of World War I aces from Canada
This is a list of flying aces in World War I from Canada. A flying ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Canadians served in the British flying services-the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service, and the Royal Air Force, as Canada had no air arm until the formation of the Canadian Air Force on September 19, 1918.
For a master list of victories during the conflict, see List of World War I flying aces.
Canadian World War I aces
More than 10 victories
Name | Rank | Victories | Unit | Notes |
Lieutenant Colonel | 72 | 21, 60, 85 | VC | |
Lieutenant Colonel | 60 | 10N, 13N, 3W ; 47, 203 | ||
Major | 54 | 46 | ||
Major | 50 | 4, 9, 15, 28, 66 ; 139, 201 | VC | |
Captain | 38 | 18, 22 | ||
Captain | 37 | 41 | ||
Flight Commander | 36 | 3N, 9N | ||
Captain | 35 | 13, 41 | ||
Captain | 33 | 70 | ||
Lieutenant Colonel | 31 | 11 | ||
Major | 28 | 19 | ||
Captain | 28 | 1, 56 | ||
Lieutenant | 27 | 28 | ||
Captain | 27 | 41, 60 | ||
Captain | 27 | 3N, 9N, 3W ; 203 | ||
Captain | 26 | 20 | ||
Captain | 25 | 1 Naval ; 201 | ||
Captain | 24 | 41 | ||
Captain | 22 | 10N, 3W ; 210 | ||
Captain | 22 | 65 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 21 | 20 | ||
Captain | 21 | 4N ; 204 | ||
Lieutenant | 20 | 88 | ||
Captain | 20 | 29 | ||
Captain | 19 | 19, 23 | ||
Flight Sub Lieutenant | 19 | 3W; 10N | ||
Captain | 18 | 13N ; 213 | ||
Major | 17 | 3N, 10N, 3W ; 210 | ||
Captain | 17 | 2N, 6N, 9N, 11N; 3W ; 209 | ||
Captain | 17 | 84 | ||
Captain | 16 | 17, 22, 47 ; 150 | ||
Captain | 16 | 56, 72, 85 | ||
Captain | 15 | 3N, 10N ; 203 | ||
Captain | 15 | 13N ; 213 | ||
Captain | 14 | 22 | ||
Captain | 14 | 10, 25, 40, 44, 78 | ||
Captain | 14 | 84 | ||
Lieutenant | 14 | 22 | ||
Captain | 14 | 9N ; 3, 201 | ||
Captain | 14 | 28, 45 | Founding member of RCAF; elected to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame | |
Flight Commander | 13 | 3N; 3W | ||
Flight Commander | 13 | 6N, 10N | Elected to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame | |
Captain | 13 | 43, 70 | Retired as Air Vice-Marshal of RCAF | |
Captain | 13 | 29 | Made the first airmail flight over the Canadian Rockies 7 August 1919 | |
Lieutenant | 13 | 28, 45 | ||
Captain | 13 | 4N ; 204 | ||
Captain | 13 | 10N, 12N ; 210 | ||
Captain | 13 | 209 | ||
Captain | 13 | 28, 66 | ||
Lieutenant | 12 | 66 | ||
Lieutenant | 12 | 22 | ||
Captain | 12 | 1, 40 | ||
Captain | 12 | 5, 7, 73 | ||
Captain | 12 | 19 | ||
Captain | 12 | 210 | ||
Captain | 12 | 84 | ||
Douglas McGregor | Captain | 12 | 23 | |
Lieutenant | 12 | 29 | ||
Major | 12 | 4N ; 204 | ||
Captain | 12 | 73 | Head of British Intelligence in the Western Hemisphere during World War II | |
Melville Wells Waddington | Lieutenant | 12 | 20 | |
Captain | 12 | 8N ; 208 | ||
Captain | 11 | 9N | ||
Flight Commander | 11 | 4N, 5W | ||
Lieutenant | 11 | 22 | ||
Art Duncan | Captain | 11 | 60 | |
Lieutenant | 11 | 47 ; 150 | ||
Captain | 11 | 56 | ||
Captain | 11 | 45 | ||
Captain | 11 | 24, 84 | ||
Captain | 11 | 48 | Elected to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame | |
Captain | 10 | 66 | ||
Major | 10 | 3W, 3N ; 204 | Air Chief Marshal Breadner achieved the highest rank ever awarded in the RCAF | |
Captain | 10 | 4N, 9N, 11N ; 209 | Credited with shooting down Manfred von Richthofen | |
Captain | 10 | 2, 84 | ||
Captain | 10 | 48 | ||
Lieutenant | 10 | 1, 6, 70 | ||
Flight Sub-Lieutenant | 10 | 3N, 3W | ||
Captain | 10 | 23, 24 | ||
Captain | 10 | 1 | ||
Lieutenant | 10 | 41, 84 | ||
Captain | 10 | 40 |
Fewer than 10 victories
Name | Rank | Victories | Unit | Notes |
Captain | 9 | 24, 70 | ||
Lieutenant | 9 | 84 | ||
Captain | 9 | 22 | ||
Lieutenant | 9 | 6N ; 206 | ||
Captain | 9 | 28, 45 | ||
Captain | 9 | 13, 19 | ||
George Clapham Dixon | Captain | 9 | 40, 43, 85 | |
Captain | 9 | 1N, 6N ; 70, 201 | ||
Captain | 9 | 17 ; 150 | ||
Captain | 9 | 3N, 9N, 3W ; Walmer HD | ||
Captain | 9 | 20, 22 | ||
Captain | 9 | 1 | ||
Captain | 9 | 54 | ||
Anthony George Allen Spence | Lieutenant | 9 | 1N ; 201 | |
Louis Mark Thompson | Lieutenant | 9 | 62 | |
Lieutenant | 9 | 28, 70 | ||
Lieutenant | 8 | 4N ; 204 | ||
John Dartnell De Pencier | Captain | 8 | 19 ; 12 | |
Lieutenant | 8 | 20 | ||
Captain | 8 | 46, 111 | ||
Lieutenant | 8 | 29 | ||
Major | 8 | 49, 57 ; 205 | ||
Captain | 8 | 56 | ||
Captain | 8 | 4, 24, 29 | Manfred von Richthofen 's 13th victim. | |
Lieutenant | 8 | 66 | ||
Captain | 8 | 25 | ||
George Ivan Douglas Marks | Lieutenant | 8 | 23 | |
Captain | 8 | 8N ; 208 | ||
William Jackson Rutherford | Captain | 8 | 60 | |
Flight Commander | 8 | 3W, 10N | ||
John Henry Smith | Lieutenant | 8 | 46 | |
Flight Sub Lieutenant | 8 | 4N | ||
Alexander Gordon Tyrrell | Lieutenant | 8 | 73 | |
Lieutenant | 8 | 25, 29, 93 | ||
Captain | 7 | 7, 60 | ||
Thomas James Birmingham | Lieutenant | 7 | 22 | |
Cecil Guelph Brock | Lieutenant | 7 | 1N, 9N ; 3, 209 | |
Lieutenant | 7 | 25 | ||
Captain | 7 | 62 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 41 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 7 | 211 | Named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935, an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1968 | |
Captain | 7 | 24, 56 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 24 | Named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1946 | |
Lieutenant | 7 | 11 | ||
Captain | 7 | 28, 45, 66 | ||
Captain | 7 | 53, 104 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 17 ; 150 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 20 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 20 | ||
Captain | 7 | 43, 65 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 41 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 46 | ||
Ernest Morrow | Captain | 7 | 62 | |
Flight Lieutenant | 7 | 3N, 10N | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 41 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 19 | ||
Lieutenant | 7 | 45 | Shot down by Joachim von Busse of Jasta 3 on 26 October 1917, captured. | |
Lieutenant | 7 | 9N ; 209 | ||
Lieutenant | 6 | 104 | ||
Captain | 6 | 4N ; 204 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 6 | 103 | ||
Lieutenant | 6 | 92 | ||
Captain | 6 | 22, 48 | ||
Herbert Howard Snowden Fowler | Lieutenant | 6 | 8N, 12N ; 208 | Discharged from the RAF when it was determined that he was almost completely deaf. |
Captain | 6 | 8N, 1W | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 6 | 1 | ||
Captain | 6 | 29 | ||
Captain | 6 | 48 | ||
Flight Lieutenant | 6 | 10N | Shot down by Karl Allmenröder of Jasta 11, captured | |
2nd Lieutenant | 6 | 22 | ||
Lieutenant | 6 | 62 | ||
Captain | 6 | 65 | ||
Flight Sub-Lieutenant | 6 | 10N | ||
Lieutenant | 6 | 41 | ||
Major | 6 | 24 | ||
Flight Lieutenant | 5 | 3N, 3W | ||
Captain | 5 | 3N ; 203 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 45 | ||
Captain | 5 | 11, 56, 92 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 70 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 5 | 104 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 23 | ||
Captain | 5 | 60 | ||
Captain | 5 | 1 | ||
Major | 5 | 22, 25 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 65 | ||
Captain | 5 | 103 ; 205 | ||
Flight Sub Lieutenant | 5 | 4N | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 74 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 18, 103 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 41 | ||
Flight Lieutenant | 5 | 8N, 1W ; 208 | ||
Captain | 5 | 11, 20, 48 | ||
Captain | 5 | 9N ; 203 | ||
Captain | 5 | 28 | ||
Captain | 5 | 45, 71, 73 | Shot down and captured on 1 June 1918 | |
Captain | 5 | 25 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 20, 48 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 15, 87 | Shot down and captured on 29 September 1918 | |
Lieutenant | 5 | 23 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 5 | 62 | Shot down and captured on 27 September 1918 | |
Captain | 5 | 25 | ||
Captain | 5 | 79 | Only Canadian ace in 79 Squadron | |
Lieutenant | 5 | 4 ; 46 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 56, 60 | ||
Captain | 5 | 9N | ||
Colonel | 5 | 3N, 1W, 82W | First Canadian and first RNAS ace of the war | |
Captain | 5 | 25 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 5 | 103 | ||
2nd Lieutenant | 5 | 18, 33, 51, 78 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 210 | ||
Lieutenant | 5 | 60 |