{{short description|British flying ace}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person |name = Gordon Percy Olley |image =File:Captain-Olley.jpg |caption =A photo of Flying Officer, Gordon Percy Olley. |alt = |birth_date = {{Birth date|1893|04|29|df=yes}} |birth_place = [[Harleston, Norfolk|Harleston]], [[Norfolk]], [[England]] |death_date = {{Death date and age|1958|03|18|1893|04|29|df=yes}} |death_place = [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], [[London]], England |other_names = |known_for = First World War flying ace |occupation = [[Aviation]] and Company Director |awards = [[Military Medal]] }} Flying Officer '''Gordon Percy Olley''' [[Military Medal|MM]] (29 April 1893 – 18 March 1958) was a [[World War I]] flying ace who later formed his own airline, [[Morton Air Services#Olley Air Service|Olley Air Services]].<ref name="Aerodrome" /> He was the first pilot to fly one million miles in total.<ref name="News on civil aviation">{{cite magazine |date=28 March 1958 |title=News on civil aviation |magazine=Flight |volume=73 |issue=2566 |page=433 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200417.html |format=[[PDF]] archived at [[Flightglobal.com]] |accessdate=16 November 2009}}</ref><ref name="Scholarship" />
==Early years== Olley was born in Harleston, Norfolk on 29 April 1893.<ref name="Aerodrome" /> In the 1901 Census Olley, aged 7, is described as living at 161, Gloucester Road, Bristol with his parents George and Eliza Olley and a brother and sister.<ref name="Census1901" /> His father is described as a Tobacconist and Hairdresser.<ref name="Census1901" /> In the 1911 Census Olley is still living at the same address, now aged 17, and described as an Apprentice in a wholesale clothing warehouse. In 1912 he became a "motor salesman" at London's [[Selfridges]] department store.<ref name="ServiceRecord" />
==Military aviator== Olley joined the [[Queen Victoria's Rifles]] in August 1914.<ref name="Aerodrome" /><ref name="ServiceRecord" /> He later transferred to the [[Royal Fusiliers]], rising to the rank of [[sergeant|serjeant]], before being posted to the [[Royal Flying Corps]] as an [[Air Mechanic 2nd Class|Air Mechanic Second Class]], going to France with them on 17 June 1915.<ref name="Aerodrome" /><ref name="MIC" /> At first he was a [[despatch rider]], and then he became an [[air observer]] with [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]].<ref name="Aerodrome" />
After training as a pilot he rejoined the squadron in 1917 to fly [[Nieuport 11|Nieuport scouts]].<ref name="Aerodrome" /> In September 1917 he was awarded the [[Military Medal]] for bravery in the field.<ref name="mmedal" /> He was then commissioned as a temporary [[second lieutenant]] on the [[General List]],<ref name="comm" /> and appointed a flying officer in the [[Royal Flying Corps]] on 28 January 1918.<ref name="app" /> He transferred to the [[Royal Air Force]] on its formation on 1 April 1918 and was promoted to [[first lieutenant|lieutenant]].<ref name="ServiceRecord" />
After the war he was transferred to Unemployed List on 22 June 1919.<ref name="unemployed" />
His service record states that in addition to his MM he was [[mentioned in dispatches]] "for valuable services" during the war.<ref name="ServiceRecord" /> During operations with 1 Squadron he is credited with ten aerial victories, comprising 3 destroyed, 5 ( and 2 shared) 'out of control'.<ref>'Above the Trenches'; Shores, Franks & Guest, page 294</ref>
He rejoined the RAF in 1923 when he was commissioned as a [[flying officer]] on probation in Class A of the [[Reserve of Air Force Officers]] on 4 December,<ref name="reserve" /> he was confirmed in that rank on 4 June 1924.<ref name="conf" /> He transferred to Class C of the reserve on 4 December 1932,<ref name="ClassC" /> and relinquished the commission on 4 December 1936, and was permitted to retain his rank.<ref name="relinquish" />
==Civil aviator== [[Image:DH.104 Dove 1B G-AJBI Olley RWY 09.07.54 edited-2.jpg|thumb|right|Olley Air Services [[De Havilland Dove]] in 1954]] After leaving the Royal Air Force he worked as a pilot for Handley Page Air Transport, [[Imperial Airways]] and [[KLM]]. In 1931, he became the world's first pilot to log one million miles.<ref name="News on civil aviation"/> Leaving Imperial, he started his own airline, [[Morton Air Services#Olley Air Service|Olley Air Services]], in 1934. The firm originally operated from its base at [[Croydon Airport]] as a charter airline. Olley Air Services eventually was part of a group of airlines that included [[Blackpool & West Coast Air Services]], [[Channel Air Ferries]] and [[Isle of Man Air Services]]. After the [[Second World War]] the airline resumed services from Croydon as both a charter airline and a scheduled service before being sold to [[Morton Air Services]] in 1953.
Olley died in Wimbledon on 18 March 1958.<ref name="Aerodrome" /> His obituary reported that not one of his 40,000 passengers suffered a casualty.<ref name="News on civil aviation"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="Aerodrome">{{cite web | title=Gordon Percy Olley | url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/olley.php | publisher=theaerodrome.com | accessdate=14 November 2009}} </ref>
<ref name="mmedal">{{London Gazette |issue=30287 |date=17 September 1917 |page=9610 |supp=y}}</ref>
<ref name="Scholarship">{{cite web | title=Captain Gordon P Olley Scholarship in Aviation | url=http://acserv.admin.utas.edu.au/rules/scholarships/rule104.html | publisher=University of Tasmania | date= 5 September 2007 | accessdate=14 November 2009}} </ref>
<ref name="Census1901">[[Census in the United Kingdom|1901 Census of Bristol]], [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/externalrequest.asp?requestreference=RG13/2399 RG 13/2399], Folio 75, Page 23, Gordon P. Olley, 161, Gloucester Road, Bristol. [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]].</ref>
<ref name="comm">{{London Gazette |issue=30535|date=19 February 1918|page=2284|supp=y}}</ref>
<ref name="app">{{London Gazette |issue=30541|date=22 February 1918|page=2442|supp=y}}</ref>
<ref name="unemployed">{{London Gazette |issue=31449|date=11 July 1919|page=8855}}</ref>
<ref name="reserve">{{London Gazette |issue=32885|date=22 December 1923|page=8452}}</ref>
<ref name="conf">{{London Gazette |issue=32947|date=17 June 1924|page=4747}}</ref>
<ref name="ClassC">{{London Gazette |issue=33889|date=6 December 1932|page=7749}}</ref>
<ref name="relinquish">{{London Gazette |issue=34363|date=26 January 1937|page=561}}</ref>
<ref name="ServiceRecord">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=8252459|title=RAF officers' service records 1918 – 1919—Image details—Olley, Gordon Percy|work=DocumentsOnline|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|format=fee usually required to view full pdf of original service record|accessdate=16 November 2009}}</ref>
<ref name="MIC">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=4647699|title=WW1 Campaign Medals—Image details—Medal card of Olley, Gordon P|work=DocumentsOnline|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]|format=fee usually required to view full pdf of original medal index card|accessdate=16 November 2009}}</ref> }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Olley, Gordon}} [[Category:1893 births]] [[Category:1958 deaths]] [[Category:Military personnel from Norfolk]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Queen Victoria's Rifles soldiers]] [[Category:British World War I flying aces]] [[Category:English aviators]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps soldiers]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force officers]] [[Category:People from Harleston, Norfolk]] [[Category:Recipients of the Military Medal]] [[Category:Royal Fusiliers soldiers]] [[Category:Territorial Force soldiers]]