Stearne Tighe Edwards

Name:

Country:

Canada

Rank:

Captain

Service:

Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force

Units:

2N, 6N, 9N, 11N; 3W (RNAS)
209 (RAF)

Victories:

Born:

13 February 1893

Place of Birth:

Franktown, Ontario, Canada

Died:

22 November 1918

Place of Death:

York, Yorkshire, England

Cemetery:

Tadcaster Cemetery, Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England

The son of Edwin Dennis and Ann Caroline Vincent (Tighe) Edwards, Stearne Tighe Edwards accompanied by Roy Brown and Daniel Galbraith to the Wright School in Dayton, Ohio. He received his pilot's certificate on a Wright biplane on 11 October 1915. On 31 October 1915, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service. Posted to 9 Naval Squadron on 10 August 1918, he scored 17 victories flying the Sopwith Camel. Despite a nervous breakdown on 23 May 1918, he recovered and became a flight instructor. On 12 November 1918, Edwards was injured in a crash and died ten days later.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Act. Flt Cdr. Stearne Tighe Edwards, R.N.A.S.
   In recognition of his services on the following occasions: —
   On the 3rd September, 1917, with his flight he attacked a two-seater Aviatik. The enemy machine was observed to go down in a vertical nose dive, and the enemy observer was seen to collapse in tne cockpit.
   On the 21st September, 1917, he drove a two-seater enemy machine down out of control.
   On the 23rd September, 1917, he attacked an Albatross scout, which crashed into the sea.
   On the same date he attacked three Albatross scouts. One got on the tail of another officer's machine at very close range, shooting him up very badly. Flt. Cdr. Edwards attacked him from above, and the enemy machine turned on its back and went down in a vertical dive. He followed the enemy machine down to 8,000 feet, when its wings came off, and it fell to the ground.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 November 1917 (30363/11320)

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Bar

Lieut. (tempy. Capt.) Stearne Tighe Edwards, D.S.C., R.A.F.
For conspicuous bravery and most brilliant leadership of fighting patrols against enemy aircraft. On 2 May 1918, whilst leading a patrol of four scouts, he encountered a hostile formation of eight enemy scouts and drove down one enemy machine completely out of control. Soon afterwards, he engaged another formation of six enemy scouts, driving down one to its destruction whilst his patrol accounted for another. He only broke off the fight owing to lack of ammunition. He has destroyed or driven down out of control many enemy machines since he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and has at all times shown the greatest gallantry and a fine offensive spirit.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 21 June 1918 (30756/7304)

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	01 Mar 1916		2N	Sopwith 1½ Strutter (9422)	EA (DES)	Bruges
2	05 Sep 1917	0800	9N	Sopwith Camel (B3829)	Albatros C (OOC) ¹	Middelkerke
3	21 Sep 1917	1700	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	DFW C (OOC) ²	Zarren
4	23 Sep 1917	0730	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	Albatros D.V (DES)	Off Ostend
5	23 Sep 1917	0820	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	Albatros D.V (DES)	N of Dixmude
6	28 Sep 1917	1610	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	Albatros D.V (DES) ³	Dixmude
7	02 Oct 1917	1450	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	Albatros C (OOC) ⁴	E of Slype
8	27 Oct 1917	1435	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6217)	Albatros D.V (OOC) ⁵	NE of Nieuport
9	03 Feb 1918	0840	9N	Sopwith Camel (B6351)	Albatros C (DES) ⁶	Staden
10	02 Apr 1918	1115	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Albatros D.III (DES)	S of Halluin
11	02 Apr 1918	1115	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Albatros D.III (OOC) ⁷	S of Halluin
12	12 Apr 1918	1715	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	C (CAP)	W of Amiens
13	02 May 1918	1815	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Albatros D.V (OOC)	Brie
14	02 May 1918	1845	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Albatros D.V (DES)	Cayeux
15	15 May 1918	1045	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Pfalz D.III (OOC)	E of Rosières
16	16 May 1918	1615	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	Fokker DR.I (CAP) ⁸	W of Corbie
17	19 May 1918	1100	209	Sopwith Camel (B7199)	C (OOC)	S of Albert

1	Shared with FSL Roy Brown, FSL Oliver Redgate, FSL Arthur Wood, FLt Fred Banbury
2	Shared with FSL Oliver Redgate
3	Shared with FSL Fred Banbury, FSL Oliver Redgate, FSL John Hales, FSL Merrill Taylor
4	Shared with FCdr Joseph Fall
5	Shared with FSL Francis Mellersh, FSL John Hales, FSL John Paynter, FSL Fred Banbury, FSL C A Narbeth (B3883), FSL Arthur Wood, FSL Merrill Taylor, FSL Harold Stackard
6	Shared with FSL Oliver Redgate
7	Shared with Joseph Siddall
8	Shared with Lt Merrill Taylor, Lt Wilfrid May

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