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The son of James and Wilhelmina Hardman, James Donald Innes Hardman was educated at Malvern College and joined the Artists' Rifles in 1916. Early in 1917, he transferred to the Royal
Flying Corps. Commissioned in May of that year, Hardman was too young for combat and had to
wait until February 1918 before he was posted to 19 Squadron. Flying the Sopwith Dolphin, he scored nine
victories and became a flight commander. When the war ended, Hardman left the Royal Air
Force but rejoined in 1921 and eventually attained the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
Following a distinguished career, Sir Donald Hardman retired from the Royal Air Force in
1958. |
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| Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) |
Lieut. (A./Capt.) James Donald Innes
Hardman. (FRANCE)
A bold and courageous officer who has shown most praiseworthy devotion to duty, both in the March retreat and during the more recent operations. On 30th October, while escorting a bombing raid, he, with his flight, encountered some 40 enemy machines. In the combat that ensued he shot down two, and it was mainly due to his cool judgment and skill in leading that the flight inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy, destroying five machines and driving down another out of control. In all, this officer has seven hostile aircraft to his credit—destroyed or driven down out of control.
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| Victories |
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Date |
Time |
Unit |
Aircraft |
Opponent |
Location |
| 1 |
09 May 1918 |
1030 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (C3818) |
Albatros C (OOC) |
Plouvain |
| 2 |
16 May 1918 |
1110 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (C3818) |
C (OOC) 1 |
Bucquoy |
| 3 |
31 May 1918 |
0750 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (C3818) |
Pfalz D.III (OOC) 2 |
Armentières |
| 4 |
25 Jun 1918 |
0715 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (C3818) |
Pfalz D.III (OOC) |
Comines |
| 5 |
01 Jul 1918 |
1430 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (C3818) |
LVG C (DESF) 3 |
W of Steenwerck |
| 6 |
16 Sep 1918 |
0940 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (D3769) |
Fokker D.VII (OOC) 4 |
N of Lille |
| 7 |
27 Oct 1918 |
1150 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (D5237) |
Fokker D.VII (DESF) |
Quaroble |
| 8 |
30 Oct 1918 |
1130 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (D5237) |
Fokker D.VII (DESF) |
Mons |
| 9 |
30 Oct 1918 |
1130 |
19 |
Sopwith Dolphin (D5237) |
Fokker D.VII (DESF) |
Mons |
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| 1 |
Shared with Maj Albert Carter (C4017) |
| 2 |
Shared with Lt Lewis Ray (C4129) |
| 3 |
Shared with Capt Gordon Irving (C3996), Lt John Aldridge (C3883) |
| 4 |
Shared with Capt Cecil Gardner (C3818) |
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