{{Short description|Canadian flying ace}} {{Infobox military person | name = William Wendell Rogers | birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|11|10|df=yes}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|1|11|1896|11|10|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Alberton, Prince Edward Island]], [[Canada]] | death_place = [[Saint John, New Brunswick]], [[Canada]] | allegiance = [[George V]] of the [[British Empire]] | branch = [[Royal Flying Corps]] | rank = Captain | unit = [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron RFC]] | awards = [[Military Cross]] }} Captain '''William Wendell Rogers''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC}} (10 November 1896 – 11 January 1967) was a Canadian [[World War I]] [[flying ace]] credited with nine aerial victories. He singlehandedly shot down a [[Gotha G]] bomber.<ref name="nieuport">{{cite book|last1=Franks|first1=Norman|title=Nieuport Aces of World War 1|url=https://archive.org/details/nieuportacesworl01fran|url-access=limited|date=25 April 2000|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1855329614|pages=[https://archive.org/details/nieuportacesworl01fran/page/n20 20]}}</ref><ref name="aero">{{cite web|url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/canada/rogers2.php|title=William Rogers|website=The Aerodrome|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref>
==Early life== William Wendell Rogers was born in [[Alberton, Prince Edward Island]], [[Canada]].<ref name=trenches>Shores, et al, p. 324.</ref>
==World War I service== {{See also|Aerial victory standards of World War I}} Rogers was appointed a [[Flying Officer]] on 25 April 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30078|date=18 May 1917 |page=4884|supp=y}}</ref> On 12 July 1917, he scored the first of a run of six "out of control" victories over enemy [[Albatros Flugzeugwerke|Albatros]] fighter planes, with the string ending 29 October 1917. On 18 November 1917 he was appointed Flight Commander.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30414|date=4 December 1917 |page=12750|supp=y}}</ref>
On 12 December 1917, he shot down a huge [[Gotha G]] bomber piloted by German [[Pour le Merite|Blue Max]] winner Hauptmann [[Rudolf Kleine]], killing Kleine and his three crew members.<ref name="nieuport" />
Rogers went on to two additional "out of control" victories, with his last win coming on 18 December 1917.<ref name="aero" />
==Postwar life== He returned to Saint John, Canada, to operate an automobile concern. He became active in the local flying club.<ref name=trenches/> He died on 11 January 1967 (aged 70) in [[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]], [[New Brunswick]].
==Honors and awards== '''Military Cross (MC)'''
2nd Lt. (T./Capt.) William Wendell Rogers, R.F.C., Spec. Res. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in shooting down seven enemy airplanes, and on two occasions attacking enemy troops with machine gun fire from very low altitudes. He proved himself a daring patrol leader.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=11 July 1918|editor1-last=Spooner |editor1-first=Stanley|title=Honours |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%200765.html |magazine=Flight |volume=X |issue=28|page=763|access-date=23 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=30507|date=1 February 1918 |pages=1602,1604|supp=y}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== * {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |authorlink2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell F. |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=978-0-948817-19-9 |name-list-style=amp}} {{wwi-air}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, William Wendell}} [[Category:1896 births]] [[Category:1967 deaths]] [[Category:Canadian World War I flying aces]] [[Category:People from Alberton, Prince Edward Island]]
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