45-687: Samuel Marcus Kinkead DSO , DSC & Bar , DFC & Bar (25 February 1897 – 12 March 1928) was a South African fighter ace with 33 victories during the First World War . He went on to serve in southern Russia and the Middle East postwar. Kinkead was born in Johannesburg , South African Republic , to an Irish father and Scottish mother who had recently emigrated there. He was the second son, with an elder brother named Thompson Calder Kinkead, born circa 1893. Samuel Kinkead joined
90-476: A royal warrant published in The London Gazette on 9 November, the first DSOs awarded were dated 25 November 1886. The order was established to reward individual instances of meritorious or distinguished service in war. It was a military order, until recently for officers only and typically awarded to officers ranked major (or equivalent) or higher, with awards to ranks below this usually for
135-616: A case of 'a high degree of gallantry just short of deserving the Victoria Cross '. In either case, being ' Mentioned in Dispatches ' was a pre-condition for the award of a DSO. A requirement that the order could be given only to someone mentioned in despatches was removed in 1943. Since 1993, reflecting the review of the British honours system which recommended removing distinctions of rank in respect of operational awards,
180-413: A definitive cause for the accident, D'Arcy Grieg (the pilot who took over from Kinkead) had his own theory as to what had happened. He ruled out mechanical failure of the aircraft because they were too well maintained but said Kinkead was killed by a combination of factors including recovering from a bout of malaria that would have him feeling 'a bit below par.' It was March and late in the afternoon. The sea
225-516: A direct drive 900 hp (670 kW) Napier Lion VIIA engine, and the other two with a geared 875 hp (652 kW) Napier Lion VIIB engine. The first aircraft performed its maiden flight on 7 June 1927. The S.5s came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 Schneider Trophy race held at Venice ; the winning aircraft ( Serial number N220 ) was flown by Flight Lieutenant Sidney Webster at an average speed of 281.66 mph (453.29 km/h). One S.5, N221 , crashed on 12 March 1928 during an attempt on
270-618: A fine example to other pilots. Flt. Lieut. Samuel Marcus Kinkead, D.S.C., R.N.A.S. For the skill and courage displayed by him as a pilot. On 22 March 1918, he attacked and drove down out of control an Albatros scout which was attacking a French machine. He has brought down many other enemy machines. He is an exceptionally good pilot, and a clever and plucky fighter, and has performed very fine work, both on offensive patrols and on low flying missions. Lt. (T./Capt.) Samuel Marcus Kinkead, D.S.C. A skilful and gallant leader, who has attacked enemy formations superior in numbers with marked success. In
315-550: A high degree of gallantry, just short of deserving the Victoria Cross . Whilst normally given for service under fire or under conditions equivalent to service in actual combat with the enemy, a number of awards made between 1914 and 1916 were under circumstances not under fire, often to staff officers , causing resentment among front-line officers. After 1 January 1917, commanders in the field were instructed to recommend this award only for those serving under fire. From 1916, ribbon bars could be authorised for subsequent awards of
360-407: A recent engagement his patrol flew to the assistance of some of our machines which were greatly outnumbered by the enemy, and succeeded in accounting for three enemy machines and scattered the remainder. Lt. (T./Capt.) Samuel Marcus Kinkead, D.S.C., D.F.C. On a recent date this officer engaged a large party of troops in a wood. The engagement lasted for an hour, but so persistent was his attack that
405-446: A relatively low level of drag for the era. On 7 June 1927, the first S.5 performed its maiden flight ; a total of three aircraft were built. Two S.5s came in 1st and 2nd places at the 1927 Schneider Trophy contest; the type would also participate in the event during subsequent years. On 12 March 1928, one S.5 fatally crashed during an attempt on the world air speed record, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead . During
450-485: A relatively low weight as to avoid incurring excessive wing loading . The engine was cooled via a somewhat unusual arrangement, using radiators located on the wings in place of the Lamblin type radiators of the S.4; these radiators were made up of corrugated copper sheets and covered a large proportion of the wing surface. Particular attention was paid to the oil system with the aim of minimising fractional losses in
495-479: A serious case of malaria and was shipped home to convalesce. Upon recovery, he was forwarded to England, where his older brother Thompson was training as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps . While on his second solo flight on 3 September 1917, Thompson died in a crash at Shoreham. Samuel signed for his deceased brother's personal effects. Samuel Kinkead was assigned to 1 Naval Squadron to fly Nieuports on
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#1732790157942540-410: A smooth plywood covering. They were built in two halves along a conventional twin-spar arrangement, albeit with a diagonal member between the wing tips and the fittings for the streamlined bracing wires which stiffened the wing against torsion and reduced the likelihood of encountering aeroelastic flutter . Large radiators were present on the wings; positioned tightly against the wings, they were of
585-427: A speed of 282.11 mph (454.01 km/h), behind the winning S.6 flown by Flying Officer H. Richard Waghorn and a Macchi M.52 . Ray Hilborne of Leisure Sports designed and built a full-scale S.5 replica which flew for the first time on 28 August 1975. The replica, powered by a Continental IO-360 , used an all-wood construction and incorporated modifications to the wing to lower the stalling speed, water rudders,
630-556: The Commonwealth , awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful command and leadership during active operations, typically in actual combat. Since 1993 it has been awarded specifically for "highly successful command and leadership during active operations", with all ranks being eligible. It is a level 2A decoration (order) in the British system of military decorations . Instituted on 6 September 1886 by Queen Victoria in
675-554: The Commonwealth . The following received the DSO and three bars ( i.e., were awarded the DSO four times): Supermarine S.5 The Supermarine S.5 was a 1920s British single-engined single-seat racing seaplane built by Supermarine . Designed specifically for the Schneider Trophy competition, the S.5 was the progenitor of a line of racing aircraft that ultimately led to the iconic Supermarine Spitfire fighter of
720-607: The Distinguished Service Order for a crucial ground attack against a Bolshevik cavalry division near Kotluban, thus saving the city of Tsaritsyn from capture. He also shot down three Russian fighters during this campaign: on 30 September 1919, at Chernyi Yar; on 7 October, at Dubovka; and on 18 October at Peskovatka. He was a member of the British 1927 Schneider Trophy team, retiring in the Gloster IV after five laps. His third lap speed of 277.18 mph
765-690: The Royal Naval Air Service in September 1915. He took pilot training at Eastbourne in South Africa. He earned his wings by the end of 1915. Samuel Kinkead served in 2 Wing RNAS during the Gallipoli Campaign . While flying a Bristol Scout , he shot down a Fokker on 11 August 1916. He also scored on 28 August 1916 while flying a Nieuport , and was credited with a third victory while flying a Nieuport. He fell ill with
810-498: The Second World War The S.5 was designed by Reginald Mitchell after the loss of the S.4 before it ever raced. It featured extensive changes from the S.4, possessing numerous unconventional features and making greater use of metal; many of these decisions were made to optimise its racing performance. Due to the short development window, a wooden wing was used rather than an all-metal one. In particular, it possessed
855-635: The Western Front . Exactly two weeks after his brother's death, on 17 September 1917, he drove down a DFW two-seater out of control. A month later, he repeated the feat to become an ace. He went on to claim three more triumphs in October. In November and December 1917, he downed three planes each. In mid November, he switched 'birds' to fly a Sopwith Camel , the type of plane he would fly through war's end. Then, with his tally at 14, he went on hiatus for three months. During this time, on 22 February, he
900-412: The wing roots , undercarriage struts and function as the attachment point for the anti-lift wire bracing . The latter feature was particularly crucial to the stability of the bracing of both the wings and the sizable floats fitted. The aircraft was fitted with single-step floats; their structure comprised central longitudinal bulkheads that directly attached to the transverse frames. Several of
945-411: The 1970s, a full-scale flight-worthy S.5 replica was constructed. The Supermarine S.5 was designed by Reginald Mitchell for the 1927 Schneider Trophy. Following the earlier loss of the S.4 before the 1925 Schneider Trophy was held, Mitchell designed a new monoplane racer. Extensive changes were made between the S.4 and S.5, the principal goal of which was to achieve greater speeds. The design process
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#1732790157942990-562: The 1990s most, including Canada , Australia and New Zealand , were establishing their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours. Recipients of the order are officially known as Companions of the Distinguished Service Order, and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DSO". All awards are announced in The London Gazette . From 1918 to 2017, the Distinguished Service Order
1035-568: The DSO has been open to all ranks, with the award criteria redefined as "highly successful command and leadership during active operations". At the same time, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was introduced as the second-highest award for gallantry. Despite some very fierce campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, the DSO has yet to be awarded to a non-commissioned rank. The DSO had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by
1080-592: The DSO, worn on the ribbon of the original award. In 1942, the award was extended to officers of the Merchant Navy who had performed acts of gallantry whilst under enemy attack. Prior to 1943, the DSO could be awarded to only commissioned officers of the Lieutenant-Colonel rank and above, for 'meritorious or distinguished service in wartime' under conditions of actual combat. If awarded to an officer ranking below Lieutenant-Colonel, it had to be
1125-406: The S.5 was entirely composed of metal, primarily duralumin ; the strength of this material enabled the use of semi- monocoque construction, an arrangement that substantially reduced the amount of space taken up be the fuselage. In turn, the cross section of the fuselage could be minimised, to the extent that the pilot was seated on the floor of the fuselage while their shoulders were in contact with
1170-437: The actuation of the ailerons . The aircraft was considered to be relatively easy to handle considering its relatively high top speed for the era. The horizontal tail surfaces, which were made of wood, had their control cranks housed within the stern portion of the fuselage; the cranks for the elevator were intentionally offset so they would sufficiently clear the rudder post. A total of three aircraft were built, one with
1215-446: The conspicuous gallantry and skill displayed by him in the face of the enemy in aerial combats, notably on the following occasions: On 24 October 1917, he brought down an enemy machine, and immediately afterwards encountered and drove off a group of seven hostile aeroplanes. On 4 December 1917, he brought down an enemy two-seater machine completely out of control. By his skill and determination in attacking enemy machines he has always shown
1260-472: The destruction of two others. One aircraft was claimed captured. Kinkead volunteered to serve with No. 47 Squadron RAF after war's end, when they were sent into Russia to intercede in the Russian Civil War . He served as B Flight Commander under Raymond Collishaw . The squadron operated from an equipped train. It was while supporting General Denikin 's Royalists that, on 12 October 1919, he won
1305-564: The enemy finally broke and dispersed. During this attack he was harassed by six hostile scouts. Later on he shot down an enemy two-seater in our lines. A bold and daring airman. Flying Officer Samuel Marcus Kinkead, D.S.C., D.F.C. (late H.L. Inf. and R.N.A.S.), " A " Detachment. On 12 October 1919, near Kotluban, this officer led a formation of Camel machines and attacked the Cavalry Division of Boris Dumenko . By skilful tactics in low flying he dispersed this force, which had turned
1350-408: The engine bearer, comprising two primary box section bearers that were secured to cradles. One advantage of the scoop-formed engine mounting was a relatively high level of accessibility to the engine. The engine itself was cleanly faired into the fuselage to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. The flight controls were of a conventional nature, lacking any implementation of variable gearing except for in
1395-584: The inquest. The witnesses to the crash thought Kinkead was flying very low and very fast when his S.5 dived into moderately deep water near the Calshot Lightship. Although the RAF Duty Motorboat quickly buoyed the wreck site it took two days for the salvage vessel to find and retrieve the wreckage that had split into two parts. The remains were taken to Calshot and the controls were laid out on the slipway to check for any technical fault but
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1440-533: The inspector could find nothing technically wrong with the machine. It was at first thought that Kinkead had been thrown clear of the machine during the crash but his body was found, minus half of his head, compressed into the tail. The tail had to be cut open in order to retrieve the body. It was quite obvious that Sam Kinkead had died instantly. Although neither the RAF inquiry nor the Coroner's Inquest were able to give
1485-483: The leading ace out of the 18 in his squadron, now renumbered 201 Squadron when it was folded into the newly formed Royal Air Force . On 3 August, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). On 2 November, he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. Out of the victories whose details are recorded, Kinkead claimed 23 enemy planes 'out of control' including three shared. He destroyed five, and shared in
1530-555: The left flank of the Caucasian Army , and threatened to jeopardise the whole defence of Tsaritsyn . Flying Officer Kinkead has carried out similar attacks on enemy troops, batteries, camps and transport with great success at considerable personal risk. Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom , as well as formerly of other parts of
1575-411: The longitudinal members were placed between the frames. They were almost entirely composed of duralumin, the centre section of the starboard float was made of steel to permit it to support the primary fuel tank. As there was no room for a fuel tank within the fuselage, all of the aircraft's fuel was carried within the starboard float, which was 8 inches (20 cm) closer to the aircraft's centreline than
1620-417: The metal skin of the fuselage. Structural elements within the fuselage included loosely-spaced flat U-section formers throughout its length that worked in conjunction with the skin, which functioned as longerons within the stress-resisting structure; in key areas, it was reinforced using fore-and-aft stringers. The forward section of the fuselage had particularly strong frames in order to appropriately support
1665-400: The port float; this arrangement gave the aircraft a lower centre of gravity as well as helping to offset engine talk. Largely due to a lack of available experimentation time during the aircraft's short development window, the use of an all-metal wing was discounted. Instead, proven wooden construction was used for the wire-braced wings, which possessed spruce spars , spruce-ply ribs and
1710-451: The propeller gearing and maximising the aircraft's speed potential. As traditional arrangements were deemed to be insufficient, the oil was cooled via a series of corrugated steel radiators positioned on either side of the fuselage; further cooling of the gears themselves was achieved via several opening in the cowlings of the cylinder block. The forward bottom portion of the fuselage was reinforced using laminated duralumin to function as
1755-619: The world air speed record, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead , who had flown the Gloster IV in the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race. Concern over the unreliability of the supercharged Lion powering the Gloster VI led to the High Speed Flight entering one S.5 ( N219 , fitted with a geared Lion engine for the event) along with the two S.6s for the 1929 Schneider contest. The S.5, flown by Flight Lieutenant D'Arcy Greig, finished third in 46 minutes and 15 seconds at
1800-584: Was awarded approximately 16,935 times, in addition to 1,910 bars. The figures to 1979 are laid out in the table below, the dates reflecting the relevant entries in the London Gazette : In addition, approximately 90 DSOs were awarded between 1980 and 2017, including awards for the Falklands and the wars in the Gulf , Iraq and Afghanistan , in addition to three bars. The above figures include awards to
1845-619: Was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). In March, 1918, he started accumulating victories by ones and twos, finishing up May with his total at 26. Most of the time, he drove enemy craft out of the fight; he reported few destroyed. However, he received a Bar to his DSC on 26 April 1918. Then on 30 May he took another hiatus, this time for two months. He scored on each of the last three days of July, and four times in August, bringing his total to 33. He had become
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1890-453: Was glass calm and therefore it was impossible to judge height accurately and there was a mist, so he had no horizon when coming in. Grieg also thought the fumes from the engine and the heat from the oil coolers would have turned the cockpit into an extremely hot Turkish bath. The autopsy, however, had found no evidence for carbon monoxide poisoning. Flying at over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h) and at no higher than 150 feet (46 m) Kinkead
1935-400: Was heavily influenced by wind tunnel testing, the resulting information from which was kept confidential for some time. The S.5 possessed a particularly low level of drag for a floatplane of the era. Furthermore, the resulting aircraft possessed numerous unorthodox features, some of which were developed to meet specific conditions encountered during high speed air races. The fuselage of
1980-418: Was never far from disaster. Kinkead was buried at All Saints' Church, Fawley – the headstone on his grave reads: In 2018, the 90th anniversary of his death, a special memorial service was held at All Saints' Church, Fawley on 11 March. The service was conducted by Padre Glyn Williams,a retired RAF padre, with a tribute by Julian Lewis MP . Flt.-Lieut. Samuel Marcus Kinkead, R.N.A.S. In recognition of
2025-478: Was the fastest biplane seaplane flight ever recorded. In 1928, while in command of the RAF High Speed Flight , Kinkead was killed in a plane crash as he tried to become the first man to travel at more than five miles a minute in a Supermarine S.5 near Calshot England. The circumstances of his death have never been satisfactorily explained although a verdict of death by misadventure was passed at
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