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Leonard Taplin [Australia]

Name:Leonard Thomas Eaton Taplin
Country:Australia
Rank:Lieutenant
Service:Australian Flying Corps
Squadrons:1, 4, 67
Victories:12
Born:16 December 1895
Place of Birth:Adelaide, South Australia
Died:
Place of Death:
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Notes
An electical engineer from Sydney, Taplin enlisted in the Australian Army Engineers in 1914. Transferring to the Australian Flying Corps, he was posted to Palestine in 1917, serving with 67 Squadron as a reconnaissance pilot. In July 1918, he joined 4 Squadron in France as a Sopwith Camel pilot. Nine days after he scored his first victory, Taplin was very nearly killed in a flying accident on 26 July 1918. That day, his bomb ladened Camel crashed during take off and he was blown clear, unhurt. On 5 September 1918, Taplin's flight of four Camels was overwhelmed and shot down by Fokker D.VII's of Jasta 26 and 27. Badly wounded, Taplin scored his final victory and was the only Allied pilot to survive the dogfight. He was captured and remained a prisoner until the end of the war.

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