Alfred Clayborn Atkey
Around 1845 this evening, two Bristol F2b’s from 22 Squadron RAF were on patrol just northeast of Arras when they encountered a group of German scouts.
- Lieutenant Alfred Clayborn Atkey and his observer Lieutenant Charles George Gass were in B1164
- Lieutenant John Everard Gurdon and his observer 2nd Lieutenant Anthony Joseph Hill Thornton were in B1253.
Both Atkey and Gurdon dived to attack and each claimed an enemy machine downed. As they climbed out of the attack, Thornton got another one.
Charles George Gass
Two other German formations then joined in totalling around 20 aircraft. Both Bristols continued the fight for about half an hour until they ran out of ammunition. At that point Atkey and Gass had claimed five, while Gurdon and Thornton claimed three. Only seven enemy aircraft remained and the rest had fled.
John Everard Gurdon
Both Atkey and Gass were awarded the Military Cross, while Gurdon received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Gass ended the war with 39 victories making him the highest scoring ace on the Bristol. He was also highest scoring British observer. Atkey scored 38 in total, 29 in the Bristol, making him the fourth highest Bristol ace. Gurdon scored all of his 28 victories in the Bristol too, putting him at number five. Thornton claimed only five and in fact these were his last. All four men survived the war.
airwar19141918 