Percy Jack Clayson

{{Short description|British flying ace}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}  {{Infobox military person |name = Percy Jack Clayson |image = |image_size = |alt = |caption = |birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|6|7|df=yes}} |death_date =  |birth_place = [[Deptford]], [[London]], [[England]] |death_place = |burial_place = |burial_label = |nickname = Pip |allegiance =United Kingdom |branch = Royal Navy British Army Royal Air Force |service_years = 1914–1929 1941–1954 |rank = [[Flight Lieutenant]] |service_number = |unit = |commands = |battles = [[World War I]] [[World War II]] |awards = [[Military Cross]] [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] |relations = |other_work = }} '''Percy Jack Clayson''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC|DFC|sep=yes}} (born 7 June 1896) was a British [[flying ace]] in the [[World War I|First World War]] credited with 29 victories.<ref name="theaerodrome">{{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/clayson.php |title=Percy Jack Clayson |work=The Aerodrome |year=2014 |access-date=13 October 2014 }}</ref>

==Biography== ===Early life and education=== Clayson was born in [[Deptford]], [[London]]<ref name="Census1910" /><ref name="birth" /> on 7 June 1896. In the 1910 Census of Watford, he is listed as a 14-year-old pupil at the [[Royal Masonic School for Boys]] at Bushey.<ref name="Census1910" />

===First World War=== Clayson joined the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] at the outbreak of war and served in [[France]] from December 1914. He then transferred to the [[Royal Flying Corps]], being appointed a probationary temporary second lieutenant on the General List on 19 July 1917,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=7 August 1917 |supp=y |issue= 30221 |pages=8096–8097 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and was confirmed in the rank on 28 September.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=16 October 1917 |supp=y |issue= 30342 |page=10742 |nolink=yes}}</ref> On 30 September 1917 he was awarded his Royal Aero Club Aviators License (No. 5617) after flying a Curtiss Biplane at the Military School at Beverley.<ref>Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate Record Card No. 5617 Clayson, Percy Jack</ref> He joined [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]] on 31 October 1917.<ref name="ABT">Shores ''et.al.'' (1997), p. 107.</ref>

Clayson gained his first victory on 16 February 1918.<ref name="theaerodrome"/> He was awarded the [[Military Cross]] on 9 April, and on 8 May was appointed a [[flight commander]] with the rank of acting captain.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=24 May 1918 |issue= 30702 |page=6110 |nolink=yes}}</ref> On 12 June 1918, he was cited for the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<ref>{{London Gazette |date=28 June 1918 |supp=y |issue= 30775 |page=7746 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and by 14 July had achieved a total of 29 credited victories; 1 shared destroyed balloon, 1 (and 1 shared) aircraft captured, 9 (and 9 shared) aircraft destroyed, and 5 (and 3 shared) aircraft 'out of control'.<ref name="theaerodrome"/>

He was invested with his DFC on 24 July 1919 by [[George V of the United Kingdom|The King]] at Buckingham Palace.<ref name="times" /> Clayson was posted to Home Establishment on 3 August 1918, ending his involvement in direct engagement with the enemy.<ref name="ABT"/>

===Later military service=== On 24 October 1919 he was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of [[flying officer]].<ref>{{London Gazette |date=24 October 1919 |issue= 31616 |page=13033 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He served during the 1920s with [[No. 6 Squadron RAF|Nos. 6]] and [[No. 70 Squadron RAF|70]] Squadrons. On 1 July 1925 he was promoted to flight lieutenant,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=3 July 1925 |issue= 33063 |page=4456 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and on 9 July was posted to [[No. 23 Squadron RAF|No. 23 Squadron]] at [[RAF Henlow]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1925/1925%20-%200621.html |title=Royal Air Force: Appointments |issue=874 |volume=XVII |page=621 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=24 September 1925 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref> On 21 September 1926 he was posted to the Aircraft Depot, Iraq,<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1926/1926%20-%200765.html |title=Royal Air Force: Appointments |issue=929 |volume=XVIII |page=681 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=14 October 1926 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref> finally returning to the UK to serve at the RAF Depot at [[RAF Uxbridge]] from 14 November 1928.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929%20-%200034.html |title=Royal Air Force: Appointments |issue=1046 |volume=XXI |page=16 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=3 January 1929 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref> He was placed on the retired list due to ill health on 16 April 1929.<ref name="retire" />

On 7 September 1929, at Our Lady of Victories Church, [[Kensington]], he married Kathleen Thornton of Kelvingrove, Glasgow.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929-1%20-%201241.html |title=Personals: Married |issue=1083 |volume=XXI |page=1064 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=27 September 1929 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref> In 1936 Clayson was the Chief Ground Instructor at the Civil Training Flying School operated by the [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]] at [[RAF Yatesbury|Yatesbury]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%203197.html |title=Yatesbury sets the Pace |work=[[Flight International|Flight]] |issue=1456 |volume=XXX |date=12 November 1936 |access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref>

During World War II Clayson returned to active service in the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]] being appointed a flying officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch on 20 December 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=3 March 1942 |issue= 35476 |page=1020 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 January 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=18 January 1944 |supp=y |issue= 36340 |pages=412–414 |nolink=yes}}</ref> Clayson remained in the Air Force Reserve of Officers until finally relinquishing his commission on 10 February 1954.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=1 July 1955 |supp=y |issue= 40528 |pages=3878–3879 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

==Honours and awards== * Temporary 2nd Lieutenant Percy Jack Clayson, General List and RFC, is awarded the [[Military Cross]]: {{Blockquote|For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When on low-flying offensive patrol, he engaged an enemy scout and shot it down, with the result it crashed to earth. He has brought down several hostile machines, one of which was forced to land in our lines, and has engaged massed enemy troops and transport from a very low altitudes with machine-gun fire, inflicting heavy casualties. He has displayed the most marked determination, courage and skill.|London Gazette, 22 June 1918<ref name="mc" />}}

* Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Percy Jack Clayson, MC, is awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]: {{Blockquote|A patrol leader of great skill, and a skilful marksman, whose personal fighting successes have proved of much value to his squadron. Captain Clayson's patrol frequently encountered enemy formations in superior numbers, but invariably succeeded in inflicting serious losses.|London Gazette, 3 August 1918<ref name="dfc" />}}

==References== <references>

<ref name="mc">{{London Gazette |issue=30761 |date=22 June 1918 |page=7406 |supp=y }}</ref> <ref name="dfc">{{London Gazette |issue=30827 |date=3 August 1918 |page=9199 |supp=y }}</ref> <ref name="retire">{{London Gazette |issue=33488 |date=23 April 1929 |page=14 }}</ref> <ref name="Census1910">[[Census in the United Kingdom|1910 Census of Watford]], RG14/7698, Percy Jack Clayson, Royal Masonic School, The Avenue, Bushey, Hertfordshire.</ref> <ref name="birth">[[General Register Office]] Index of Births registered in July, August, September, 1896. Name: Clayson, Percy Jack. District: Greenwich. Volume: 1D. Page: 1077.</ref> <ref name="times">{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular |date=25 July 1919 |page=15 |issue=42161 |column=B}}</ref>

</references> ==Bibliography== * {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |author-link2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=0-948817-19-4 |name-list-style=amp}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clayson, Percy Jack}} [[Category:1896 births]] [[Category:Year of death missing]] [[Category:People from Deptford]] [[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Lewisham]] [[Category:People educated at the Royal Masonic School for Boys]] [[Category:English aviators]] [[Category:Royal Naval Air Service aviators]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force officers]] [[Category:British World War I flying aces]] [[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II]] [[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]