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William Thaw [USA]

Name:William "Bill" Thaw
Country:United States
Rank:Lieutenant Colonel
Service:French Air Service
United States Air Service
Squadrons:C42; D6; N65, N124 (FAS)
103rd Aero; 3rd Pursuit Group (USAS)
Victories:5
Born:1893
Place of Birth:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died:22 April 1934
Place of Death:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) with Oak Leaf Cluster
Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur
Croix de Guerre with 4 Palms & 2 Stars
William Thaw

Notes
Abandoning his studies at Yale in 1913, Thaw obtained a pilot's certificate from the Curtiss school and became a flight instructor. When war broke out in Europe, he volunteered for the French Air Service but was rejected. Instead, on 4 September 1914, he joined the French Foreign Legion and served in the trenches. Despite poor vision, defective hearing and a bad knee, Thaw was permitted to join the French Air Service in December 1914. After serving as an observer/gunner, he received flight training and was reassigned to the Escadrille Americaine on 28 April 1916. By the time this squadron was disbanded in February 1918, Thaw had achieved two confirmed victories. While serving with the 103rd Pursuit Squadron, he scored three more victories to become an ace. The first American to be cited for gallantry and promoted by the French, Thaw may well have been the first American to participate in aerial combat during World War I. When the war ended, he returned to the United States and became an insurance agent.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
"For extraordinary heroism near Reims, France, 26 March 1918. Major Thaw was the leader of a patrol of three planes which attacked five enemy scouts and three two-seaters. He and another member of the patrol brought down one enemy plane and the three drove down out of control two others and dispersed the remainder." DSC citation

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster
"For extraordinary heroism in action near Montaigne, France, 20 April 1918. In the region of Montaigne, Major Thaw attacked and brought down burning an enemy balloon. While returning to his own lines the same day, he attacked two enemy scouts, one of which he shot down in flames." DSC Oak Leaf Cluster citation

Légion d'Honneur
"Voluntarily enlisted for the duration of the war. Remarkable pilot by his spirit, skill and scorn for danger. Recently, he had eighteen aerial combats at close quarters. On the morning of 24 May [1916], he attacked and downed an enemy plane. The same evening, he attacked a group of three German planes and pursued them from 4,000 meters to 1,000 meters. Severely wounded during the course of the combat, he succeeded, by the grace of his strength, skill and audacity, to return to our lines with his plane severely damaged and landed normally. Already cited twice in orders." Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur citation, 18 June 1916

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