Guy Wareing

Captain Guy Wilbraham Wareing DFC (23 July 1899 – 27 October 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories.[1]

Guy Wilbraham Wareing
Born(1899-07-23)23 July 1899
Latchford, Warrington, Lancashire
Died27 October 1918(1918-10-27) (aged 19) (KIA)
East of Tournai, Belgium
Buried
Rumillies, Tournai, Belgium
(50°37′12″N 3°26′14″E)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1917–1919
RankCaptain
UnitNo. 29 Squadron RAF
Battles/warsWorld War I
 • Western Front
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Biography

Wareing was born in Latchford, Warrington, Lancashire, the son of Frederick William Wareing, an engineer, and his wife Jessie Mary.[2][3]

On 30 August 1917 he was commissioned from cadet to temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on the General List to serve in the Royal Flying Corps,[4] being confirmed in his rank and appointed a flying officer on 14 February 1918.[5]

Wareing was posted to No. 29 Squadron RAF in June 1918 to fly the S.E.5a single-seat fighter. He gained his first victory on 12 August, destroying a Pfalz D.III fighter over Ploegsteert, Belgium. After destroying two reconnaissance aircraft and driving another down out of control, Wareing became both an ace and a balloon buster by destroying an observation balloon over Gheluvelt on 7 September 1918. He then sent a Fokker D.VII down in flames, and destroyed three more balloons, two of them on two separate sorties on 29 September.[1] He was appointed a temporary captain on 7 October 1918.[6]

Wareing's grave in Rumillies, April 2015

On 27 October 1918 Wareing was killed when he was shot down by a Fokker D.VII flown by Leutnant Josef Raesch of Jasta 43.[1] He is buried in the churchyard of Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Rumillies, Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium,[2] where his is the only Commonwealth War Grave.[7]

Wareing's award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted posthumously on 3 December 1918. His citation read:

Lieutenant Guy Wilbraham Wareing.
"A bold and courageous airman who has destroyed four enemy aeroplanes and shot down in flames a hostile balloon. He is conspicuous for zeal and devotion to duty."[8]

List of aerial victories
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I
Combat record[1]
No. Date/Time Aircraft/
Serial No.		 Opponent Result Location
112 August 1918
@ 0920		S.E.5a
(C1133)		Pfalz D.IIIDestroyedPloegsteert
219 August 1918
@ 1115		S.E.5a
(C1133)		DFW CDestroyedEast of Bailleul
331 August 1918
@ 1450		S.E.5a
(C1133)		LVG COut of controlEast of Estaires
46 September 1918
@ 1800		S.E.5a
(C1133)		DFW CDestroyedSouth-east of Pérenchies
57 September 1918
@ 0655		S.E.5a
(C1133)		BalloonDestroyedGheluvelt
615 September 1918
@ 1845		S.E.5a
(C1133)		Fokker D.VIIDestroyed in flamesRoulers-Rumbeke
727 September 1918
@ 0845		S.E.5a
(C1133)		BalloonDestroyedMoorslede
829 September 1918
@ 1000		S.E.5a
(D6940)		BalloonDestroyedSouth-east of Armentières
929 September 1918
@ 1410		S.E.5a
(C1133)		BalloonDestroyedEast of Comines

References
  1. "Guy Wilbraham Wareing". The Aerodrome. 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  2. "Casualty Details: Wareing, Guy Wilbraham". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  3. "Baptisms at St Wilfrid in the Parish of Farnworth near Prescot". Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project. 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  4. "No. 30292". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 September 1917. pp. 9710–9711.
  5. "No. 30589". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 March 1918. p. 3572.
  6. "No. 30947". The London Gazette. 11 October 1918. p. 11974. Note: this usually indicated an appointment as a flight commander.
  7. "Premières commémorations du 11 novembre". Médaillés et Décorés du Tournaisis (in French). 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. "No. 31046". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 November 1918. p. 14326.

Bibliography
  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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