246:"R.A.F. Aeroplanes Missing THE Air Ministry regrets to announce that three aeroplanes which left Shotwick, near Chester, to fly to Baldonnel, near Dublin, on Saturday the 21st ultimo, are missing. The machines left Shotwick at 2.6 p.m., and should have arrived at Baldonnel by 4.30 p.m. The pilots were Flying Officer C. R. Pithey, D.F.C., Flying-Officer H. L. Holland, and Flying-Officer H. de W. Waller, all three experienced pilots. Flying-Officer Holland has made the trip previously. The machines were fitted with wireless, and were tested by the pilots before leaving. The weather was reported favourable on both sides of the Irish Channel. The machines started in formation. Flying-Officer Pithey leading, and were sighted between Denbigh and Rhyl shortly afterwards, but failed to arrive at Baldonnel. No further news was obtained until the morning of the 23rd ultimo, when a wireless message was received by the Admiralty from the master of the Norfolk Range dated the 21st ultimo, and reporting that an aeroplane had come down in the sea 85 miles S.W. of the Scilly Islands at 4.35 p.m. on that date. The message stated that the lifeboat was launched and every effort made to rescue the pilot, unfortunately without success owing to a rough sea and strong wind"
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patrol; this machine at first retired east but returned, accompanied by six scouts, to the attack; after a short engagement they were driven off, and Lieut. Pithey, although his machine was badly shot about, continued his patrol and brought back a most valuable and accurate report. (Both D.F.C.'s gazetted 3rd August, 1918.)
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On another occasion, when on photography work, he was attacked by nine hostile scouts. By skilful manoeuvring he enabled his observer to shoot down three; the remaining six dispersed. He displays the greatest courage and determination in photographic and reconnaissance work., Supplement to the London
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Lieut. Pithey and his observer, Lieut. Rhodes, have crashed five enemy aeroplanes and driven down five out of control; in addition, they have shot down two balloons in flames, displaying conspicuous courage and skill on all occasions. On 1st
September, they attacked an enemy two-seater on contact
273:
When on reconnaissance 8,000 yards behind the enemy lines he saw a hostile balloon on the ground; descending to 1,700 feet, he and his observer engaged and destroyed it. He then completed his reconnaissance. On another occasion, when on photography work, he was attacked by nine hostile scouts. By
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repeated the feat on 4 June. A triple victory three days later made them aces. Pithey was reported wounded on 15 August 1918. The crew of Pithey and Rhodes continued their victory streak through 3 September 1918, becoming the most successful aces to operate the clumsy and obsolete RE.8. On 27
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September 1918, they were both wounded during a sortie, ending their flying career together. They had both earned a
Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as each earning a Bar in lieu of a second award apiece.
870:
Above the War Fronts: The
British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914-1918
1198:
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skilful manoeuvring he enabled his observer to shoot down three; the remaining six dispersed. He displays the greatest courage and determination in photographic and reconnaissance work.
207:. After training, he was posted to 152 Squadron, but his stay with them was truncated by his hospitalization. After recovery, he was assigned to 12 Squadron on 17 April 1918 as a
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pilot. He was slightly wounded a week after his arrival. His first aerial success with his new unit came when he achieved the unusual feat of destroying an enemy
154:; he may have been the only pilot to do it twice. He was also celebrated for his feats of visual and photographic reconnaissance under hazardous circumstances.
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Pithey's name is inscribed along with those of other airmen missing at sea on the
Hollybrook Memorial at Southampton, England.
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He attended
Maritzburg College, Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa from 15 April 1907 to 18 June 1908.
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Flight
Magazine March 4, 1920 p.265 at https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200265.html
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On 1 August 1919, he was granted a permanent commission in the reorganized Royal Air Force as a lieutenant.
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credited with 10 aerial victories. He was one of the war's handful of bomber pilots to become a
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in Wales shortly after departure. Pithey crashed fatally shortly thereafter.
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On 21 February 1920 at 1406 hours, Pithey launched in favorable weather from
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South
African recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United
Kingdom
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146:(19 August 1895 – 21 February 1920) was a South African World War I
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in
Johannesburg from June 1916 to May 1917; his fluency with
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Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory (1997).
828:(Supplement). 29 November 1918. pp. 14315, 14317.
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Croye Rothes Pithey was born on 19 August 1895 in the
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Croye Pithey's observer/gunner for all victories was
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Text of citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross:
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Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
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1199:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1920
619:List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
215:with a bomber on 7 May 1918. He and his observer
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417:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 serial number B7715
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199:On 13 September 1917, he was appointed as a
756:. 1 August 1919. pp. 9864, 9868, 9870.
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315:Rear of Pithey's DFC medal, with engraving
187:may have been helpful. He then joined the
20:
775:. Vol. XII, no. 10. p. 265
686:. Vol. IX, no. 42. p. 1090
678:Spooner, Stanley, ed. (18 October 1917).
767:Spooner, Stanley, ed. (22 August 1918).
720:Spooner, Stanley, ed. (22 August 1918).
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1189:South African people of British descent
728:. Vol. X, no. 34. p. 936
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327:Aerial victory standards of World War I
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592:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n F6097
567:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n F6097
542:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n F6097
464:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n B7715
442:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n B7715
1194:South African World War I flying aces
7:
795:"Flying Officer Croye Rother Pithey"
595:LVG two-seater reconnaissance plane
486:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 s/n E47
16:South African World War I flying ace
280:Gazette, 3 August 1918 (30827/9202)
1108:Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
1103:Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
658:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
259:Flying Officer Croye Rother Pithey
14:
1143:Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section
548:two-seater reconnaissance plane
520:two-seater reconnaissance plane
373:two-seater reconnaissance plane
308:
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79:
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1080:United States Army Air Service
1055:Canadian Air Force (1918–1920)
947:Aircraft of the Central Powers
942:Aircraft of the Entente Powers
708:Franks, Guest & Alegi 1997
641:Franks, Guest & Alegi 1997
589:3 September 1918 @ 1715 hours
1:
1065:Imperial Russian Air Service
564:30 August 1918 @ 1650 hours
554:East of Saint-LĂ©ger, France
539:28 August 1918 @ 0945 hours
514:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8
511:23 August 1918 @ 1740 hours
483:21 August 1918 @ 1130 hours
396:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8
1128:Imperial German Air Service
769:"R.A.F. Aeroplanes Missing"
495:Driven down out of control
470:Driven down out of control
448:Driven down out of control
371:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8
303:Front of Pithey's DFC medal
209:Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8
1215:
1138:Ottoman Aviation Squadrons
680:"The British Air Services"
129:Distinguished Flying Cross
461:7 June 1918 @ 0920 hours
439:7 June 1918 @ 0920 hours
414:7 June 1918 @ 0920 hours
393:4 June 1918 @ 0845 hours
321:List of aerial victories
1070:Royal Italian Air Corps
1050:Australian Flying Corps
1038:Royal Naval Air Service
918:Aviation in World War I
1099:Japanese air services
654:"Pithey, Croye Rothes"
292:
283:
161:
1029:British air services
992:Aerial reconnaissance
570:Fokker D.VII fighter
160:
87:Union of South Africa
722:"The Roll of Honour"
467:Pfalz D.III fighter
445:Pfalz D.III fighter
399:Observation balloon
1084:Greek air services
925:People and aircraft
377:Observation balloon
213:observation balloon
139:Croye Rothes Pithey
119:No. 12 Squadron RAF
25:Croye Rothes Pithey
1179:People lost at sea
1075:Romanian Air Corps
1060:French Air Service
1033:Royal Flying Corps
1002:Flight over Vienna
825:The London Gazette
753:The London Gazette
573:Destroyed by fire
523:Destroyed by fire
402:Destroyed by fire
381:Destroyed by fire
265:Honours and awards
205:Royal Flying Corps
189:Royal Flying Corps
162:
101:Royal Flying Corps
1151:
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1093:Naval Air Service
987:Bombing of cities
970:Strategic bombing
610:
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602:Lagnicourt-Marcel
201:second lieutenant
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1088:Army Air Service
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473:Map grid 57C B8
451:Map grid 57C B8
429:Map grid 57C B8
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224:Post World War I
181:accounting clerk
179:He worked as an
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53:21 February 1920
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872:. Grub Street.
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1119:Central Powers
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1021:Entente Powers
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879:978-1898697565
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840:"Croye Pithey"
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152:balloon buster
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74:United Kingdom
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57:(aged 24)
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41:19 August 1895
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844:The Aerodrome
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1121:air services
1023:air services
1007:Bloody April
869:
847:. Retrieved
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814:
802:. Retrieved
799:Find A Grave
798:
789:
777:. Retrieved
772:
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751:
742:
730:. Retrieved
725:
715:
710:, p. 73
688:. Retrieved
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673:
661:. Retrieved
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648:
643:, p. 72
490:Fokker D.VII
330:
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55:(1920-02-21)
18:
1169:1920 deaths
1164:1895 births
963:and battles
820:"No. 31046"
748:"No. 31486"
421:Pfalz D.III
367:7 May 1918
195:World War I
137:Lieutenant
1158:Categories
932:Commanders
862:References
849:24 January
804:24 January
779:24 January
732:24 January
690:24 January
663:24 January
598:Destroyed
577:Bullecourt
551:Destroyed
426:Destroyed
344:Date/time
165:Early life
148:flying ace
110:Lieutenant
62:Allegiance
37:1895-08-19
961:Campaigns
952:Zeppelins
604:, France
579:, France
529:, France
501:, France
499:BĂ©hagnies
356:Location
347:Aircraft
325:See also
980:Cuxhaven
613:See also
527:Boyelles
492:fighter
423:fighter
277:—
233:Shotwick
131:with Bar
95:Service/
1012:Battles
353:Result
237:Denbigh
203:in the
975:German
876:
773:Flight
726:Flight
684:Flight
359:Notes
125:Awards
97:branch
84:
71:
625:Notes
937:Aces
874:ISBN
851:2018
806:2018
781:2018
734:2018
692:2018
665:2018
350:Foe
341:No.
241:Rhyl
239:and
185:Zulu
143:DFC*
115:Unit
107:Rank
50:Died
31:Born
586:10
546:DFW
518:LVG
1160::
842:.
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797:.
771:.
750:.
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633:^
561:9
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910:e
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39:)
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
