John Lightfoot Trollope

John Lightfoot Trollope
Born	(1897-05-30)30 May 1897 Wallington, Surrey, England
Died	Hove, Sussex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Years of service	1915–1920
Rank	Captain
Unit	Royal Engineers No. 70 Squadron RFC No. 43 Squadron RFC
Battles/wars	World War I  • Western Front
Awards	Military Cross & Bar

Captain John Lightfoot Trollope MC* (30 May 1897 – 21 October 1958) was a British First World War flying ace, credited with eighteen aerial victories, including seven on one day, the first British pilot to do so.

Early life and background

Trollope was born in Wallington, Surrey, the seventh of nine children, and the second surviving son of Howard Woollright Trollope and his wife Caroline Lydia (née Hodgson). He was educated at Banstead Hall, and was attending Malvern College when the war broke out.

World War I

Trollope enlisted in early 1915, before his 18th birthday, to serve as a despatch rider in the Royal Engineers Signal Service. He served in France from June, but was invalided back to England in September. He was serving as a corporal in the Royal Engineers, when on 17 June 1916 he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on the General List to serve in the Royal Flying Corps. He trained as a pilot, being granted Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate No. 3772 after soloing a Maurice Farman biplane at Shoreham on 1 August, and was appointed a flying officer on 2 September.

Trollope served in France from September 1916, flying a Sopwith 1½ Strutter reconnaissance aircraft in No. 70 Squadron. He returned to England in March 1917 to serve as an flying instructor and in a Home Defence squadron. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1917, and was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 28 July 1917, to serve in No. 43 Squadron in France. Soon after his arrival No. 43 Squadron replaced its 1½ Strutters with Sopwith Camels, and was converted from a reconnaissance to a ground attack unit.

Trollope gained his first aerial victory on 19 January 1918, destroying a DFW two-seater over Vitry. Two further victories followed on 16 and 17 February, and two more on 5 and 11 March to bring his total to five, making him an ace. He accounted for two Albatros D.V fighters on 17 March, and forced a DFW two-seater down to be captured at Mercatel on 23 March.

Seven in a day

Around 11 a.m. on 24 March Trollope's flight observed four German fighters attacking British reconnaissance aircraft. Trollope promptly attacked, firing at one aircraft from close range, causing it to break up in mid-air. Spotting two more enemy aircraft below he dived and shot them both down before rejoining his flight to engage another group of enemy aircraft, until his ammunition was exhausted. Later the same day, around 3.20 p.m, Trollope's flight encountered three enemy aircraft over the battle line. He attacked one, but his gun jammed and he was forced to withdraw and clear it. He then attacked another at point-blank range, sending it down spinning until it broke up. He then pursued a third aircraft, setting it on fire. On the return home he saw an enemy fighter and a British aircraft dogfighting. Trollope attacked, shooting the enemy down in a spin, and the other pilot saw it crash.

Capture and return

Only days later, on the morning of 28 March, he led a patrol of nine aircraft across the German lines. East of Albert he attacked and destroyed an observation balloon, but was attacked by a formation of German Albatros D.V fighters. In the ensuing dogfight, Trollope shot down two of the enemy, but five British aircraft were shot down, including Trollope, who fell victim to Leutnant Paul Billik, commander of Jasta 52. Trollope was captured, having his left hand and wrist amputated as a result of his injuries. He was soon repatriated, but due to complications his left arm was eventually amputated at the shoulder.

Awards and citations

While in captivity Trollope was twice awarded the Military Cross. The first was gazetted on 13 May 1918, his citation reading:

Temporary Captain John Lightfoot Trollope, General List and Royal Flying Corps.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During a period of three months he has engaged and brought down completely out of control four hostile machines, and has sent down crashing to earth, three others. On all occasions he has displayed the greatest courage, determination and skill, and it is largely due to his fine leadership that the flight under his command has contributed so much to the marked success of the squadron."

His bar to the Military Cross was gazetted on 22 June 1918:

Temporary Captain John Lightfoot Trollope, MC, General List and Royal Flying Corps.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On one occasion during the recent operations, while on offensive patrol, he encountered three enemy machines, two of which he completely destroyed. He then attacked a scout, and after firing 100 rounds into it, the enemy machine went down completely out of control, eventually crashing. Later in the same day, on his flight encountering four enemy two-seater planes, he sent three of them down crashing to earth. Within a month previous to this he fought two hostile formations, numbering 12 machines in all, single-handed, and did not break off the engagement until he had driven off all of them towards the East. He has accounted for 14 enemy machines, and has rendered exceptionally brilliant service by his gallantry and determination."

List of aerial victories

Combat record

No.	Date/Time	Aircraft/ Serial No.	Opponent	Result	Location	Notes
1	19 January 1918 @ 1025	Sopwith Camel (B6210)	DFW two-seater	Destroyed	Vitry
2	16 February 1918 @ 1145	Sopwith Camel (B6210)	DFW two-seater	Destroyed	Vitry
3	17 February 1918 @ 0930	Sopwith Camel (B6210)	DFW two-seater	Out of control	Brebières
4	5 March 1918 @ 1520	Sopwith Camel (B6210)	DFW two-seater	Out of control	East of La Bassée
5	11 March 1918 @ 1350	Sopwith Camel (B6210)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Sainghin
6	17 March 1918 @ 1145-1200	Sopwith Camel (C8270)	Albatros D.V	Out of control	Maugne
7			Albatros D.V	Destroyed in flames	4 miles (6.4 km) east of Armentières
8	23 March 1918 @ 1300	Sopwith Camel (C8270)	DFW two-seater	Captured	Mercatel
9	24 March 1918 @ 1100-1105	Sopwith Camel (C8270)	DFW two-seater	Destroyed	East of Mercatel
10			DFW two-seater	Destroyed in flames	South-east of Mercatel	Shared with Second Lieutenant Robert Johnstone Owen.
11			Albatros D.V	Destroyed	East of Mercatel
12	24 March 1918 @ 1520-1530	Sopwith Camel (C8270)	Albatros two-seater	Destroyed	Sailly-Saillisel
13			Albatros two-seater	Destroyed
14			Albatros two-seater	Destroyed
15			Two-seater	Destroyed
16	28 March 1918 @ 0930	Sopwith Camel (C8270)	Balloon	Destroyed	East of Albert
17			Albatros D.V	Destroyed
18			Albatros D.V	Destroyed

Post-war

Trollope eventually relinquished his RAF commission on 10 February 1920, on account of ill-health caused by wounds, and was permitted to retain his rank.

He married Molly Field on 30 January 1926, and had two children. He died in Hove Hospital in 1958.

References

Notes