Richard Maybery

 ( 1895 Births ) 

After his graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers on 17 September 1913. At the outbreak of the war he was serving in the North West Frontier Province where he was promoted to lieutenant on 31 October 1914. After being seriously wounded in action at Shabqadar on 15 September 1915, Maybery became bored during his rehabilitation and, unable to sit on a horse, became involved in observing for a unit of the Royal Flying Corps who were based nearby. He was eventually seconded to the RFC, and appointed a flying officer (observer) on 10 October 1916, with seniority from 21 August 1916. Later he travelled to Egypt where he trained to be a pilot, being appointed a flying officer on 11 April 1917, and was posted to France to serve in No. 56 Squadron, alongside aces James McCudden, Arthur Rhys Davids and Keith Muspratt.

Aggressive and headstrong, Maybery quickly accumulated a high victory tally, accounting for 21 enemy aircraft between 7 July and 19 December 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross on 26 September, and on 18 November was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain. His second Military Cross was awarded on 17 December.

Moments after his final victory on 19 December, shooting down an Albatros D.V over Bourlon Wood, Maybery's SE5a was either hit by fire from a mobile anti-aircraft battery (credited to K-Flakbatterie 108 commanded by Leutnant Thiel), or shot down by Vizefeldwebel Artur Weber of Jasta 5, and crashed near the village of Haynecourt.