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Name: Joseph Stewart Temple Fall
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and 2 Bars
Air Force Cross (AFC)
Joseph Fall
Country: Canada
Rank: Flight Commander
Service: Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force
Units: 3N, 9N (RNAS)
Victories: 36
Born: 17 November 1895
Place of Birth: Hillbank, British Columbia, Canada
Died: 01 December 1988 Link to Portrait Portrait by Robert Exter
Place of Death: Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Cemetery: Anglican Church of St. John the Baptist's Historic Cemetery, Cobble Hill , British Columbia, Canada Image
 
 
The son of a farmer, Joseph Stewart Temple Fall tried to enlist in the army but was rejected for service due to a childhood head injury. On 23 August 1915 he was accepted as a candidate for the Royal Naval Air Service. When Canadian authorities abandoned support for a flying school in Canada, Fall left Canada on 12 November 1915 to be trained in England. By late 1916, he was flying the Sopwith Pup in combat with 3 Naval Squadron. He was the only Canadian ace to receive the Distinguished Service Cross three times for combats in the air. Fall remained in the Royal Air Force until 1945 when he retired as a Group Captain.
 
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
Flt. Sub-Lieut. Joseph Stewart Fall, R.N.A.S.
   For conspicuous bravery and skill in attacking hostile aircraft.
    On the morning of the 11th April, 1917, while escorting our bombing machines, he brought down three hostile aircraft. The first he attacked and brought down completely out of control. He was then attacked by three hostile scouts who forced him down to within about two hundred feet of the ground. By skilful piloting he manoeuvred his machine close behind one of them, which was driven down and wrecked. Shortly afterwards this Officer was again attacked by a hostile scout, which he eventually brought down a short time before recrossing the lines. He then landed at one of the aerodromes, his machine having been riddled with bullets from the hostile machines, and also by rifle fire from the ground.
 
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) First Bar
Flt. Lieut. (act. Flt. Cdr.) Joseph Stewart Temple Fall, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.
   In recognition of the conspicuous courage displayed by him in attacking enemy aircraft in superior numbers on many occasions. On the 15th October, 1917, he attacked an enemy machine from in front at very close range, at times within twenty-five yards. He then turned sharply and attacked from behind, sending the enemy machine down spinning on its back and emitting great volumes of black smoke.
 
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Second Bar
Flt. Lieut. (act. Flt. Cdr.) Joseph Stewart Temple Fall, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.
   In recognition of his services on 1 and 13 November 1917, when he had successful engagements with three enemy machines. He has always shown great courage and gallantry in the face of the enemy, and maintained a high record of achievement, having destroyed many enemy machines.
 
Victories
Date Time Unit Aircraft Opponent Location
1 06 Apr 1917 1020 3N Sopwith Pup (N6158) Halberstadt D.II (DES) Bourlon Wood
2 11 Apr 1917 0900 3N Sopwith Pup (N6158) Albatros D.II (OOC) Cambrai
3 11 Apr 1917 0905 3N Sopwith Pup (N6158) Albatros D.II (DES) Cambrai
4 11 Apr 1917 0905 3N Sopwith Pup (N6158) Albatros D.II (DES) Cambrai
5 23 Apr 1917 1730 3N Sopwith Pup (N6205) Albatros D.III (OOC) Bourlon Wood
6 29 Apr 1917 1100 3N Sopwith Pup (N6205) Albatros D.III (DES) Bois de Gaard
7 01 May 1917 1045 3N Sopwith Pup (N6205) Albatros D.III (OOC) Epinoy
8 23 May 1917 1345 3N Sopwith Pup (N6479) Albatros D.III (OOC) W of Bourlon
9 07 Jul 1917 1110 3N Sopwith Camel (N6364) Seaplane (DES) 1 N of Ostend
10 07 Jul 1917 1115 3N Sopwith Camel (N6364) Seaplane (DES) NW of Ostend
11 07 Jul 1917 1220 3N Sopwith Camel (N6364) Albatros D.V (DESF) Ostend
12 27 Jul 1917 1415 3N Sopwith Camel (N6364) Seaplane (DES) 2 Off Ostend
13 17 Aug 1917 1820 3N Sopwith Camel (N6364) Albatros D.V (OOC) S of Ostend
14 03 Sep 1917 1830 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (DES) 3 SE of Pervyse
15 04 Sep 1917 2140 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) DFW C (DES) 4 Nieuport-Middelkerke
16 06 Sep 1917 1335 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros C (OOC) 5 Middelkerke
17 09 Sep 1917 1905 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (OOC) 6 Middelkerke
18 11 Sep 1917 1730 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (DESF) 7 Leke
19 11 Sep 1917 1730 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (DES) 7 Leke
20 14 Sep 1917 1715 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (DES) 8 NW of Leke
21 16 Sep 1917 1645 9N Sopwith Camel (B3883) DFW C (DESF) 9 E of Mariakerke
22 24 Sep 1917 1545 9N Sopwith Camel (B3892) Albatros D.III (OOC) 7 Leke
23 24 Sep 1917 1625 9N Sopwith Camel (B3892) Albatros D.III (OOC) Middelkerke
24 30 Sep 1917 1055 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros C (DES) Middelkerke
25 02 Oct 1917 1450 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros C (OOC) 10 E of Slype
26 16 Oct 1917 0950 9N Sopwith Camel (B6228) Albatros C (DES) Zarren
27 17 Oct 1917 1100 9N Sopwith Camel (B3897) Fokker D.V (OOC) E of Middelkerke
28 21 Oct 1917 1300 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) C (DESF) 11 E of Slype
29 31 Oct 1917 1140 9N Sopwith Camel (B3898) Albatros D.V (OOC) Dixmude
30 04 Nov 1917 0945 9N Sopwith Camel (B3883) Albatros D.V (OOC) Dixmude
31 13 Nov 1917 1345 9N Sopwith Camel (B3883) Albatros C (DES) Slype
32 13 Nov 1917 1435 9N Sopwith Camel (B3883) Albatros C (DES) 11 Pervyse
33 06 Dec 1917 1030 9N Sopwith Camel (B6370) DFW C (DES) Moorslede
34 06 Dec 1917 1145 9N Sopwith Camel (B6370) Albatros D.V (DES) S of Staden
35 08 Dec 1917 1445 9N Sopwith Camel (B6370) Albatros D.V (DES) NE of Houthoulst Wood
36 22 Dec 1917 1530 9N Sopwith Camel (B6231) Albatros C (DES) SE of Quesnoy

1 Shared with James Glen, FSL Leonard Rochford, FSL Frederick Armstrong, FSL R F P Abbott
2 Shared with James Glen, FSL Louis Bawlf, FSL Harold Beamish, FSL Aubrey Ellwood
3 Shared with FSL J E Scott (B3907), Arthur Wood, Harold Stackard
4 Shared with FSL J E Scott (B3907), Harold Stackard
5 Shared with Arthur Wood, Harold Stackard, FSL J E Scott (B3907), Hazel Wallace
6 Shared with Harold Stackard
7 Shared with Harold Stackard, Arthur Wood
8 Shared with FSL C A Narbeth (B3905), FSL A C Campbell-Orde (B3829)
9 Shared with Hazel Wallace, Arthur Wood
10 Shared with Stearne Edwards
11 Shared with Arthur Wood
 
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