John Knox MacArthur

Name:

John Knox "Mac" MacArthur

Country:

United States

Rank:

Lieutenant

Service:

United States Air Service

Units:

27^th Aero

Victories:

Born:

14 January 1891

Place of Birth:

Columbia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died:

20 July 1918

Place of Death:

Cemetery:

Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware, USA

From Buffalo, New York, John Knox MacArthur was an electrical engineer for a powder company and a graduate of Yale. Trained by officers of the Royal Flying Corps at Fort Worth, Texas, he joined the United States Air Service in 1917. He was assigned to the 27th Aero Squadron under Harold Hartley and sent to France in February 1918. On 17 July 1918 MacArthur scored his fifth victory and became the 27th Aero Squadron's first ace. On a mission three days later, he and two other pilots were lost when they encountered a storm. Newspaper reports in 1919 claim MacArthur died in a German prison camp.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, 29 October 1918, page 2

The Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho, Tuesday, 1 April 1919, page 2

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to John Knox MacArthur, Second Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Luneville, France, June 13, 1918. Outnumbered and handicapped by his presence far behind the German lines, Second Lieutenant MacArthur and three flying companions fought brilliantly a large group of enemy planes, bringing down or putting to flight all in the attacking party, while performing an important mission.

General Orders No. 101, W.D., 1918

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	13 Jun 1918		27^th	Nieuport 28	Albatros D.V ¹	Lorry
2	25 Jun 1918	1840	27^th	Nieuport 28	Rumpler C	Lorry
3	02 Jul 1918	0715	27^th	Nieuport 28	Fokker D.VII ²	Vervilly
4	02 Jul 1918	0715	27^th	Nieuport 28	Fokker D.VII ²	Vervilly
5	17 Jul 1918		27^th	Nieuport 28	Rumpler C	Chassins
6	19 Jul 1918		27^th	Nieuport 28	EA	Norey

1	Shared with Lt K S Clapp, Lt E W Rucker
2	Shared with Lt A A Grant, Lt W J Hoover, Lt Donald Hudson, Lt F W Norton, Lt R S Schmitt

Books

American Aces of World War 1: by Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey (Illustrator) / Paperback / Osprey Publishing (September 25, 2001)
Over the Front: by Norman L. R. Franks, Frank W. Bailey / Hardcover / Grub Street the Basement (May 1992)

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