Herbert A. Patey

Captain Herbert Andrew Patey was an English World War I flying ace credited with 11 aerial victories.

World War I
Patey began his military career by joining the Royal Naval Division early in World War I. He served with them in both Egypt and Gallipoli, and was invalided back to England in September 1915. Two months later, the authorities realized he was underage, and discharged him. Nothing daunted, Patey rejoined the Royal Navy in March 1917, this time choosing the Royal Naval Air Service. After training, he joined 10 Naval Squadron, soon to become 210 Squadron RAF, in January 1918.

While serving with 10 Naval, he began his victory string on 17 May 1918. By 3 September 1918, his tally stood at 11 and he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Two days later, he was shot down by Ludwig Beckmann of Jasta 56. He survived the resultant crashlanding, his Sopwith Camel relatively intact, to become a prisoner of war.

While he was imprisoned, his Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted on 21 September 1918, describing his heroics:

"Whilst leading his flight on an offensive patrol eight enemy machines were encountered. Captain Patey was cut off from his patrol by two of the enemy who got on his tail, and continued in that position until within 2,000 feet of the ground, at which point his machine was hit in the petrol tank. Notwithstanding his serious handicap, he turned four times on his pursuers, destroying one, and driving the remainder away.

"On previous occasions this officer has destroyed two enemy machines and brought down two more out of control, and, in company with other pilots, he has assisted in destroying or bringing down out of control five additional enemy aircraft."

Post World War I
Patey was repatriated after the armistice at the end of World War I; he arrived home on Christmas Eve, 1918. He became a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic, dying of double pneumonia in West Hampstead on 18 February 1919. Herbert Andrew Patey was buried in Plot P. 2. 38 of Hampstead Cemetery, Hampstead, England.

Legacy
Herbert Patey's Sopwith Camel survived him. After being repaired and flown by the Germans until the end of the war, it was taken to Berlin for exhibit in an aviation museum. The advent of World War II saw it moved to Kraków, Poland and stored to escape bombing raids.

The Polish Aviation Museum recently restored it; restoration was basically complete by mid-2010.