Russell Winnicott

Lieutenant Russell Winnicott was an English World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories.

Early life
Winnicot was the son of Plymouth Alderman Richard Weeks Winnicott and Anne Smith Winnicott.

World War I
Winnicott originally served in the Devonshire Regiment. He was appointed a Temporary second lieutenant attached to the Royal Flying Corps on 10 November 1916. On 12 April 1917, Winnicott relinquished his temporary rank of lieutenant.

He scored his first aerial victory on 6 September 1917; he used an Airco DH.5 to drive down an Albatros reconnaissance plane out of control. He scored throughout September; victories five and six on 30 September made him an ace. He scored again in mid October, on the 18th. Then, on 26 October 1917, Winnicott was awarded the Military Cross for his valorous actions. There was a pause in his scoring while he upgraded to a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. On 29 November, Winnicott shared a triumph with fellow ace Loudoun MacLean and a couple of other pilots. The next day, Winnicott destroyed an Albatros D.V at 1340 hours; 20 minutes later, he teamed with MacLean, Meredith Thomas, and Frank Harold Taylor to drive a German two-seater down out of control over Rumilly to become a double ace. His final tally was two enemy airplanes destroyed, eight driven down out of control.

Russell Winnicott was killed in action on 6 December 1917. On 29 January 1918, he was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant, effective 1 July 1917.

Honors and awards
The text of Winnicott's Military Cross citation:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in aerial combats. In a fight against enemy scouts; he drove down two out of control. On another occasion, he destroyed an enemy scout, and on three previous occasions, he drove down enemy machines out of control. His dash and determination were of the highest order."