{{Short description|Australian fighter ace}} {{for|the American architect|Robert Little (architect)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = [[Captain (BARM)|Captain]] |name = Robert A. Little |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DSO1|DSC1}} |birth_date= 19 July 1895 |death_date= {{death date and age|1918|5|27|1895|7|19|df=yes}} |birth_place=[[Hawthorn, Victoria|Hawthorn]], Victoria, Australia |death_place=[[Nœux-les-Mines|Nœux]], France |image= Robert A Little A05200.JPG |caption= Studio portrait of Robert A. Little |alt=Half portrait of man in dark-coloured military uniform with peaked cap |nickname="Rikki" |allegiance=United Kingdom |service_years=1916–18 |rank= [[Captain (BARM)|Captain]] |branch= [[Royal Naval Air Service]]<br />[[Royal Air Force]] |commands= |unit= [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|No. 8 Squadron RNAS]] (1916–17)<br />[[No. 203 Squadron RAF]] (1918) |battles= {{tree list}} * World War I ** [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] {{tree list/end}} |awards= [[Distinguished Service Order]] [[Medal bar|& Bar]]<br />[[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] & Bar<br />[[Mentioned in Despatches]]<br />[[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de guerre]] (France) |other_work= }} '''Robert Alexander Little''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|DSO1|DSC1}} (19 July 1895 – 27 May 1918), a World War I fighter pilot, is generally regarded as the most successful Australian [[flying ace]], with an official tally of forty-seven victories. Born in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], he travelled to England in 1915 and learned to fly at his own expense before joining the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] (RNAS). Posted to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in June 1916, he flew [[Sopwith Pup]]s, [[Sopwith Triplane|Triplanes]] and [[Sopwith Camel|Camels]] with [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|No. 8 Squadron RNAS]], achieving thirty-eight victories within a year and earning the [[Distinguished Service Order]] [[Medal bar|and Bar]], the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] and Bar, and the French [[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de guerre]]. Rested in July 1917, he volunteered to return to the front in March 1918 and scored a further nine victories with No. 3 Squadron RNAS (later [[No. 203 Squadron RAF|No. 203 Squadron RAF]]) before he was killed in action on the night of 27 May, aged twenty-two.
==Early life== Little was born on 19 July 1895 at [[Hawthorn, Victoria|Hawthorn]], a suburb of [[Melbourne]], to Canadian James Little, a seller of medical and surgical books, and his Victorian-born wife Susan. His family heritage was Scottish, and he was educated at [[Camberwell Grammar School]] and [[Scotch College, Melbourne]],<ref name="Rosel">Rosel, ''Unknown Warrior'', pp. 14–19</ref><ref name="OCGA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ocga.org.au/?/gallery-of-achievement/little_ra/ |title=Gallery of Achievement |publisher=Old Camberwell Grammarians' Association |access-date=28 May 2016}}</ref> where he was a swimming medallist. He entered his father's business as a travelling salesman, and was living with his family at [[Windsor, Victoria|Windsor]] when [[Military history of Australia during World War I|World War I]] broke out in August 1914.<ref name="Garrison">Garrisson, ''Australian Fighter Aces'', pp. 43–48</ref>
==World War I== Long interested in aviation, Little decided to apply for pilot training at the [[Australian Army]]'s [[Central Flying School RAAF|Central Flying School]] in [[Point Cook, Victoria|Point Cook]], but with only four vacancies, he was rejected along with hundreds of others. He then decided to sail for England in July 1915 and become a qualified pilot at his own expense. Gaining his flying certificate with the [[Royal Aero Club]] at Hendon in October, he joined the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] (RNAS) as a probationary [[Sub-Lieutenant|flight sub-lieutenant]] on 14 January 1916. He suffered badly from air sickness early on, most likely brought on by fumes from [[castor oil]] that was employed as an engine lubricant in the aircraft he flew in England.<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="ADB">{{cite book|url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/little-robert-alexander-7207 |chapter=Little, Robert Alexander (1895–1918)|title=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University|access-date=30 May 2016}}</ref>
Little arrived in France in June 1916 for service with No. 1 (Naval) Wing at [[Dunkirk]], where he initially flew [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]]s in bombing raids. He married Vera Gertrude Field at the Congregational Church, [[Dover]], on 16 September.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="Newton">Newton, ''Australian Air Aces'', pp. 45–47</ref> The next month he was posted to [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|No. 8 Squadron RNAS]] ("Naval Eight") flying [[Sopwith Pup]]s on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]], under fellow Australian [[Stanley Goble]]. Little scored his first aerial victory on 23 November, destroying an enemy two-seater north-east of [[La Bassée]]. By the following February, he had four victories to his credit and was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] (DSC) for "conspicuous bravery in successfully attacking and bringing down hostile machines".<ref name="Newton"/><ref name="DSC">''London Gazette'': [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=29947&geotype=London&gpn=1649&type=ArchivedIssuePage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 29947, p. 1649]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, 16 February 1917</ref> In one action on 4 December, Little and Goble "fought like mad" against a large formation of German fighters, each claiming a [[Halberstädter Flugzeugwerke|Halberstadt]]; Little did not return to base with Goble and was thought lost, but had only landed near Allied lines to clear his jammed gun before taking off again to continue the fight.<ref>Franks, ''Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1'', p. 10</ref>
On 24 April 1917, Little engaged a [[DFW C.V]], forcing it to land. He then followed the German aircraft down to claim it as captured and personally take its crew prisoner at gunpoint. The Australian flipped his own plane in a ditch after touching down, prompting the surrendering enemy pilot to suggest: "It looks as if I have brought you down, not you me, doesn't it?"<ref name="Franks pp. 23-25">Franks, ''Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War 1'', pp. 23–25</ref> Naval Eight's conversion to the [[Sopwith Triplane]] in April saw Little begin to score heavily, eventually registering twenty-four victories in the type to bring his total to twenty-eight by 10 July, including twin victories in a day on four occasions.<ref name="Newton"/> He was the squadron's top scorer with the Triplane, mostly in one airframe, N5493, that he christened "Blymp" and which also became the nickname of his baby son.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="Franks pp. 23-25"/> The unit then began flying [[Sopwith Camel]]s, in which he scored a further ten kills in July to make fourteen for the month. When he subsequently rotated back to England for rest, he was ranked flight lieutenant and credited with a total of thirty-eight victories, including fifteen destroyed or captured.<ref name="Newton"/> A [[Medal bar|bar]] to his DSC had been gazetted on 29 June, for "exceptional daring and skill in aerial fighting on many occasions",<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=30147&geotype=London&gpn=6256&type=ArchivedSupplementPage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 30147, pp. 6256–6257]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, 22 June 1917</ref> and he received the French [[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de guerre]] on 11 July, becoming—along with fellow Australian RNAS ace [[Roderic Dallas|Roderic (Stan) Dallas]]—one of the first three British Empire pilots to be so decorated.<ref name="Garrison"/> In August, he was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] "for exceptional skill and daring", followed by a bar to the decoration in September for "remarkable courage and boldness in attacking enemy machines".<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30227/supplements/8206 (Supplement) no. 30227, p. 8206], 11 August 1917</ref><ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=30285&geotype=London&gpn=9537&type=ArchivedSupplementPage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= (Supplement) no. 30285, p. 9537]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}, 14 September 1917</ref> He was [[mentioned in despatches]] on 11 December, and promoted to [[Flight Lieutenant|flight commander]] the following month.<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="ADB"/>
[[File:HU067826SopwithTriplane.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.28|Sopwith Triplane of the RNAS, c. 1917–18|alt=Front three-quarter view of military triplane on landing ground, with two men standing beside it]] <!--[[File:RobertALittle.jpg|right|thumb|260px|Little in formal dress|alt=Head-and-shoulders portrait of man in dark tie, white shirt, and dark jacket]] Might replace with another image of clearer licensing--> Despite Little's prowess in combat, as an aviator he was ordinary at best, making several crash-landings. What gave him his edge as a fighter pilot was his keen eye, excellent marksmanship, and willingness to single-handedly take on entire enemy formations and close in on his prey—down to twenty-five yards on occasion—before opening fire.<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="DSC"/> Fellow No. 8 Squadron member [[Reginald Soar|Reggie Soar]] recalled, "Although not a polished pilot, he was one of the most aggressive ... an outstanding shot with both revolver and rifle ...";<ref name="Franks">Franks, ''Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War 1'', pp. 47–48</ref> ace [[Robert J. O. Compston|Robert Comptson]] described Little as "not so much a leader as a brilliant lone hand ... Small in stature, with face set grimly, he seemed the epitome of deadliness".<ref name="Franks"/> His squadron nicknamed him "Rikki", after the [[mongoose]] "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi", which outstrikes [[cobra]]s in the [[Rikki-Tikki-Tavi|story of the same name]] by [[Rudyard Kipling]].<ref name="Garrison"/> Soar noted that as well as being skilful with guns, Little was "also a collector of wild flowers". His wife contended that his appearance in photographs belied his sense of humour.<ref name="Franks"/> Squadron commander [[Raymond Collishaw]], who would finish the war as the RNAS' top-scoring ace, summed up Little as "an outstanding character, bold, aggressive and courageous, yet he was gentle and kindly. A resolute and brave man."<ref name="Garrison"/>
Following a period of rest in England, Little turned down a desk assignment and volunteered to return to action on the Western Front, joining Lieutenant Colonel Collishaw's No. 3 Squadron RNAS in March 1918. The unit evolved into [[No. 203 Squadron RAF|No. 203 Squadron]] of the new [[Royal Air Force]] on 1 April, formed after the merger of the RNAS and the [[Royal Flying Corps]].<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="ADB"/> Now ranked [[Captain (BARM)|captain]], and again flying Sopwith Camels, Little gained a further nine successes, beginning with a [[Fokker Dr.I|Fokker Triplane]] on 1 April, and concluding with two kills in one day on 22 May, an [[Albatros Flugzeugwerke|Albatros]] and a [[Deutsche Flugzeug-Werke|DFW]].<ref name="ADB"/><ref name="Newton"/> During this stretch of victories, on 21 April 1918, he was brought down unharmed by [[Friedrich Ehmann]].<ref>VanWyngarden, ''Pfalz Scout Aces of World War I'', p. 66</ref>
On 27 May, Little received reports of German [[Gotha G.V|Gotha]] bombers in the vicinity, and took off on a moonlit evening to intercept the raiders. As he closed with one of the bombers, his plane was caught in a searchlight beam and he was struck by a bullet that passed through both his thighs. He crash-landed in a field near [[Nœux-les-Mines|Nœux]], and bled to death before he was discovered the following morning by a passing [[gendarmerie|gendarme]].<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="Newton"/> Little's skull and ankle had also been fractured in the impact; his body was identified by his friend and fellow ace, [[Charles Dawson Booker]].<ref name="Garrison"/><ref>Shores at al., ''Above the Trenches'', p. 81</ref> Collishaw launched an investigation but it was never established whether the single bullet that hit Little had come from a gunner in the Gotha or from the ground.<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="Newton"/>
==Legacy== [[File:A05407LittleGrave.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.28|Little's grave in Wavans Cemetery, France|alt=Three light-coloured grave stones, the centre one being dedicated to "R.A. Little"]] Little was buried in the village cemetery at Nœux, before his body was moved to Wavans British Cemetery in the [[Pas de Calais]].<ref name="ADB"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2913544 |title=Little, Robert Alexander|publisher= [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]]|access-date= 28 December 2009}}</ref> Aged twenty-two, he left a widow and a son; in accordance with her husband's wishes, Vera travelled back to Australia to raise the boy.<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="Newton"/> Of Little's forty-seven confirmed victories,<ref name="Garrison"/><ref>Shores, ''British and Empire Aces of World War 1'', pp. 77–78</ref> twenty were credited as destroyed, two as captured, and twenty-five as "out of control"; he was believed to be responsible for many others driven down or forced to land, which were not counted in his official total.<ref name="Newton"/> As well as the eighth most successful Commonwealth ace of World War I, and the ranking RNAS ace, this score made him the most prolific Australian ace of all time, ahead of Stan Dallas with an official score of thirty-nine,<ref>Garrisson, ''Australian Fighter Aces'', pp. 26–28, 48</ref><ref>Wilson, ''The Brotherhood of Airmen'', p. 31</ref> although modern research also credits Dallas with a tally numbering in the fifties.<ref>Newton, ''Australian Air Aces'', pp. 32–34</ref>
The propeller blade from Little's Sopwith Triplane was fitted with a clock in its hub by his fellow officers, who presented it to his widow; she transported it back to Australia in three pieces and it later went on display at the [[Australian War Memorial]], along with his awards and the wooden cross of his original burial place at Nœux.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/44/page6_briefing_firstthrough.asp |title=Captain Little's propeller|publisher= [[Australian War Memorial]]|access-date= 28 December 2009}}</ref> The Sopwith Pup he flew with No. 8 Squadron RNAS, N5182, was rebuilt to flying standard and in October 1976 led a flypast to commemorate the squadron's Diamond Jubilee, before going on permanent display at the [[Royal Air Force Museum London|Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon]].<ref name="Garrison"/><ref name="ADB"/> One of the buildings of the [[Australian Defence Force Academy]] (ADFA) in Canberra, opened in 1986, was named in Little's honour.<ref name="Garrison"/>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== *{{cite book|last=Franks | first=Norman| year=2005| title=Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1 | location=Oxford | publisher=[[Osprey Publishing|Osprey]] |isbn=1-84176-886-3 }} *{{cite book|last=Franks | first=Norman| year=2004| title=Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War 1 | location=Oxford | publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-84176-728-X }} *{{cite book|last=Garrisson|first=A.D.|title=Australian Fighter Aces 1914–1953|url=http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Publications/Details/220/Australian-Fighter-Aces-1914–1953.aspx|publisher=Air Power Studies Centre|location=Fairbairn, Australian Capital Territory|year=1999|isbn=0-642-26540-2}} *{{cite book|last=Newton| first=Dennis|year=1996| title=Australian Air Aces| location=Fyshwyck, Australian Capital Territory| publisher=Aerospace Publications|isbn=1-875671-25-0}} *{{cite book|last=Rosel| first=Mike| year=2012| title=Unknown Warrior: The Search for Australia's Greatest Ace| location=North Melbourne| publisher=Australian Scholarly Publications |isbn=978-1-921875-74-8 }} *{{cite book|last=Shores| first=Christopher| year=2001| title=British and Empire Aces of World War 1 | location=Oxford | publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-84176-377-2 }} *{{cite book|last=Shores| first=Christopher|author2=Franks, Norman |author3=Guest, Russell | year=1990| title=Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces, 1915–1920| location=London| publisher=Grub Street| isbn=0-948817-19-4}} *{{cite book|last=VanWyngarden| first=Greg|year=2006| title=Pfalz Scout Aces of World War 1| location=Oxford| publisher=Osprey |isbn=1-84176-998-3}} *{{cite book|last=Wilson| first=David|year=2005| title=The Brotherhood of Airmen| location=Crows Nest, New South Wales| publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |isbn=1-74114-333-0}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Little, Robert A.}} [[Category:1895 births]] [[Category:1918 deaths]] [[Category:Military personnel from Melbourne]] [[Category:Australian World War I flying aces]] [[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]] [[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]] [[Category:People educated at Camberwell Grammar School]] [[Category:People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne]] [[Category:Australian recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Royal Navy officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Royal Naval Air Service aviators]] [[Category:Royal Navy officers of World War I]] [[Category:People from Hawthorn, Victoria]]