Francis Dominic Casey

Francis Dominic Casey
Born (1890-08-03)3 August 1890
Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died 11 August 1917(1917-08-11) (aged 27)
Buried at Adinkerke Military Cemetery, De Panne, West Flanders, Belgium (51°04′15″N 2°36′09″E / 51.07083°N 2.60250°E / 51.07083; 2.60250Coordinates: 51°04′15″N 2°36′09″E / 51.07083°N 2.60250°E / 51.07083; 2.60250)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service 1915–1917
Rank Flight Commander
Unit No. 3 (Naval) Squadron RNAS
Battles/wars World War I
 • Western Front
Awards Distinguished Service Cross
Mentioned in Despatches

Flight Commander Francis Dominic Casey DSC (3 August 1890 – 11 August 1917) was an Irish World War I flying ace of the Royal Naval Air Service credited with nine aerial victories. He won the Distinguished Service Cross for valour before his untimely death.[1]

Early life

Francis Dominic Casey was born in Clonmel, County Tipperary, the youngest son of Maurice J. Casey, JP, and Agnes M. Casey, and was educated at St. George's College, Weybridge.[2][3]

World War I

In August 1914, when the war broke out, Casey was working for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.[2] On 25 May 1915 he was granted a temporary commission as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve,[4] and on 30 May he was posted to HMS President for duty with the Royal Naval Air Service.[5] On 27 May 1916 Casey's Royal Naval Reserve commission was cancelled, and the following day he was re-commissioned as a probationary flight sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air Service.[6] On 3 August 1916 he was confirmed in his rank of flight sub-lieutenant, with seniority from 28 May.[7]

Casey served in No. 2 Wing, and was eventually posted to No. 3 (Naval) Squadron to fly the Sopwith Pup single-seat fighter. He gained his first aerial victory on 17 March 1917, driving down out of control a Halberstadt D.II fighter over Bapaume.[1] On 1 April Casey was promoted to flight lieutenant,[8] and gained his second victory a week later, driving down an Albatros D.III fighter on 8 April. He then gained seven more victories, six of them D.III fighters, in only twelve days, from 21 April to 2 May.[1] On 12 May he received a mention in despatches,[9] and on 22 June was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation read:

Flight Lieutenant Francis Dominic Casey, R.N.A.S.
"For conspicuous bravery and skill in attacking hostile aircraft on numerous occasions. On 21 April 1917, he attacked a hostile two-seater machine at a range varying from 40 to 100 yards, and brought it down completely out of control. On 23 April 1917, on four different occasions during one flight, he attacked hostile machines, one of which was driven down in a spinning nose dive and another turning over on its side went down completely out of control. This officer has driven down four machines completely out of control, and forced many others down."[10]

Appointed to the acting rank of flight commander, Casey died in a flying accident during a test flight on 11 August 1917.[1][11] He is buried in Adinkerke Military Cemetery in De Panne, West Flanders, Belgium.[3]

List of aerial victories

Combat record[1]
No. Date/Time Aircraft/
Serial No.		 Opponent Result Location Notes
1 17 March 1917
@ 1040 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6163)		 Halberstadt D.II Driven down out of control North-east of Bapaume
2 8 April 1917
@ 1500 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control North-east of Pronville
3 21 April 1917
@ 1730 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Destroyed Hendecourt
4 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control
5 23 April 1917
@ 1730 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Cagnicourt
6 24 April 1917
@ 1650 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 DFW reconnaissance aircraft Captured Morchies—Louverval Victory shared with Flight Lieutenant Herbert Travers and Flight Sub-Lieutenant John Joseph Malone.
7 26 April 1917
@ 1915 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Cambrai
8 29 April 1917
@ 1100 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Set afire; destroyed Between Bantouzelle and Cambrai
9 2 May 1917
@ 1120 hours		 Sopwith Pup
(N6182)		 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Mœuvres

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Francis Dominic Casey". The Aerodrome. 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Et Cetera". The Tablet: 21. 18 August 1917. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Casualty Details: Casey, Francis Dominick". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29171. p. 5006. 25 May 1915.
  5. ↑ "Royal Naval Air Service: Appointments". Flight. VII (336): 392. 4 June 1915. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Royal Naval Air Service: Appointments". Flight. VIII (889): 481. 8 June 1916. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29694. p. 7675. 4 August 1916.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30055. pp. 4359–4360. 8 May 1917.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30066. p. 4627. 11 May 1917.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30147. p. 6256. 22 June 1917.
  11. ↑ "The Roll of Honour: Killed". Flight. IX (451): 835. 16 August 1917. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
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