John Quested (officer)

{{short description|British WWI flying ace}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}  {{Infobox military person | name = John Bowley Quested | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1893|12|14}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1948|3|11|1893|12|14}} | birth_place = [[Elham, Kent|Elham]], [[Kent]], England<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grahambutcher.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/QBirths.html |title=Extracted Births from St Catherines Index 1837 to 1904 |first=Graham |last=Butcher |work=Quested Surname |year=2014 |accessdate=14 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20141114012944/http://www.grahambutcher.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/QBirths.html |archivedate=14 November 2014 }}</ref> | death_place = | burial_label = | burial_place = St Martin's Church, Cheriton, Kent | burial_coordinates =  | nickname = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army Royal Air Force | service_years = 1914–1920 | rank = [[Major (United Kingdom)|Major]] | unit = [[Royal Army Service Corps|Army Service Corps]] [[No. 11 Squadron RAF|No. 11 Squadron RFC]] [[No. 48 Squadron RAF|No. 48 Squadron RFC]] [[No. 40 Squadron RAF|No. 40 Squadron RFC]] | commands = No. 1 Aerial Gunnery Range No. 2 Aeroplane Supply Depot [[No. 79 Squadron RAF]] | battles = | awards = [[Military Cross]] ''[[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de Guerre]]'' (France) | relations = | other_work = }} Major '''John Bowley Quested''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC}} (14 December 1893 – 11 March 1948) was a [[First World War]] [[flying ace]] from England. He was credited with eight aerial victories, the most notable being his triumph over [[Gustav Leffers]].

==World War I service== Quested was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the [[Royal Army Service Corps|Army Service Corps]] on 11 November 1914.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=17 November 1914 |issue=28977 |pages=9406–9407 |nolink=yes}}</ref> In April 1915, he began flying as an observer/gunner in 11 Squadron of the [[Royal Flying Corps]],<ref name="theaerodrome">{{cite web |url=https://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/quested.php |title=John Bowley Quested |work=The Aerodrome |year=2014 |accessdate=14 November 2014 }}</ref> and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 December 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=21 January 1916 |supp=y |issue= 29448 |page=971 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

On 6 July 1916 he was appointed a flying officer, and transferred to the [[General List]],<ref>{{London Gazette |date=25 July 1916 |supp=y |issue= 29682 |page=7413 |nolink=yes}}</ref> to become a pilot of the [[Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2]]bs of 11 Squadron. He scored his first aerial victory on 16 August 1916, driving a [[Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft|Roland C]] two-seater reconnaissance biplane down out of control over [[Fampoux]]. On 2 September, he repeated and doubled the feat, driving down two Rolands over [[Bapaume]]. On the 15th, he destroyed another enemy fighter aircraft in the same area,<ref name="theaerodrome" /> the same day as being appointed a [[flight commander]] with the rank of captain.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=29 September 1916 |supp=y |issue= 29771 |page=9534 |nolink=yes}}</ref> A week later, on 22 September, he became an ace by shooting down and destroying an [[Aviatik C.I|Aviatik C]] two-seater over Longeast Wood.<ref name="theaerodrome" />

On 20 December 1916, Quested drove an [[Albatros D.I]] down out of control over [[Monchy-le-Preux]], and a week later, on the 27th, he supposedly destroyed another over [[Wancourt]], killing the pilot. However, his observer identified it as a [[Nieuport 16]]; it seems a captured French aircraft was being used against them. This seventh victim of Quested was German ace [[Gustav Leffers]]. In turn, about an hour later, Quested was forced down behind British lines by another German ace, Wilhelm Cymera.<ref name="Gutt49">Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p. 49.</ref>

On 27 January 1917, he drove down an opposing fighter over [[Beaurains]] for his eighth victory; his final tally was three enemy planes destroyed and five driven down.<ref name="Gutt49"/> On 13 February, he was awarded the Military Cross, his citation reading:

:Temporary Captain John Bowley Quested, RFC. :For conspicuous gallantry in action. He manoeuvred his machine with great skill, and thereby enabled his observer to bring down a hostile machine. He has on many previous occasions displayed great courage and ability.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=13 February 1917 |supp=y |issue= 29940 |page=1543 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

The ''Croix de Guerre'' from France followed on 1 May 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=1 May 1917 |supp=y |issue= 30043 |pages=4156–4157 |nolink=yes}}</ref> A crash in July 1917 ended Quested's flying career, although he continued to serve in non-flying command positions for the duration of the war.<ref name="theaerodrome"/> He was appointed a squadron commander with the rank of major on 27 October 1917,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=13 November 1917 |supp=y |issue= 30379 |page=11758 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and was commander of No. 1 Aerial Gunnery Range. He was wounded in February 1918, and after recovering commanded No. 2 Aeroplane Supply Depot until the end of the war.<ref name="theaerodrome"/>

==Postwar== Quested reputedly served in Germany and India. Differing reports have him commanding 79 Squadron in 1919,<ref name="theaerodrome"/> or serving in 48 Squadron in [[Quetta]] that same year.<ref name="Gutt49"/> He eventually left the RAF, being transferred to the unemployed list on 18 March 1920,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=26 March 1920 |issue=31837 |page=3674 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and retired to [[East Anglia]] to farm.<ref name="theaerodrome"/><ref name="Gutt49"/>

Quested died on 11 March 1948 and is buried alongside his father, John Egerton Quested (1866–1943), in the churchyard of St Martin's Church, [[Cheriton, Kent]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://questedons.blogspot.co.uk/ |title=St Martin's Church, Cheriton, Kent: Monumental Inscriptions |first=Helen V. |last=Smith |work=Quested One Name Study |date=12 September 2013 |accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book |title=Pusher Aces of World War I |first1=Jon |last1=Guttman |first2=Harry |last2=Dempsey |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84603-417-6 |name-list-style=amp}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quested, John}} [[Category:1893 births]] [[Category:1948 deaths]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]] [[Category:People from Elham, Kent]] [[Category:Royal Army Service Corps officers]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War I]] [[Category:British World War I flying aces]] [[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]] [[Category:British recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)]] [[Category:Military personnel from Kent]]