Walter Southey

Captain Walter Alfred Southey, was a World War I RFC and RAF fighter ace. He was awarded the D.F.C. and bar. He was the second scoring ace for his squadron, behind only A. F. W. Beauchamp Proctor.

Early life
Born on 29 April 1897, in Bermondsey, he was familiarly known as Peter Southey. His family later lived in Brockley and New Cross. His father, Walter, was a warehouseman in the lace trade; his mother's name was Emma (née Stacey). It is understood that Walter may have been a pupil at Christ's Hospital - the Bluecoat school.

Military service
He enlisted on 14 November 1915, joining the 19th Royal Fusiliers and being assigned Regimental No. 6741. Southey served in South Africa for seven months before being commissioned into the RFC on 4 August 1916. He originally flew Bristol Fighters with No. 48 Squadron through the spring of 1917, making no victory claims, and was wounded when shot down on 4 June 1917 and did not return to action until March 1918. He scored twenty victories with 84 squadron between May and October 1918, flying the S.E.5a. At the end of the war Southey was discharged from RAF service.

Walter Southey's score of 20 victories was made up of 5 enemy observation balloons destroyed, 6 enemy airplanes destroyed (plus two more that were shared wins), 7 enemy airplanes driven down out of control (including one shared victory).

Death
His early death was from a skull fracture due to a motorcycle accident, suffered while he was riding to work. He is buried at Ladywell Cemetery, near Brockley, London, England, in Plot 103J.