Stanley Cockerell

Captain Stanley Cockerell AFC (9 February 1895–29 November 1940) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

World War I aerial success
Cockerell was granted his Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate No. 3271 on 21 July 1916. He was originally a sergeant with 24 Squadron. He used an Airco DH.2 on 14 September 1916 to share a victory with Arthur Gerald Knight, when they set a Fokker D.II aflame. He scored again on 30 September, again setting his enemy afire. Cockerell was wounded on 10 October. By the time he recovered and rejoined the squadron, he was commissioned. He then took a break until 4 February 1917, when he shared in the fiery destruction of a reconnaissance plane. Two days later, he was the sole arsonist of another recce plane. On 2 April 1917, he burned an Albatros D.III for his fifth victory. He upgraded to an Airco DH.5 on 25 May for his sixth kill, when he burned another Albatros D.III. Cockerell was then withdrawn to England to serve in Home Defence squadrons. He returned to France in July 1918 with 151 Squadron. On 4 August, while flying a Sopwith Camel in the squadron's night intruder role, he bombed the German aerodrome at Guizancourt. A Gotha bomber subsequently attempted a recovery at the field, and Cockerell bushwhacked it for his seventh consecutive flaming victory.

Post World War I
Cockerell and his six year old daughter were killed in the German bombing of Sunbury on Thames on 29 November 1940. His six surviving children were thus orphaned.