Arthur Randall

Captain Arthur Clunie Randall (6 February 1896-1948 or later) was a World War I flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. After earning a Distinguished Flying Cross during the war, he remained in military service until 1926.

Early life
Arthur Clunie Randall was born in Paisley, Scotland, on 6 February 1896. When he enlisted in the military, he was living in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

World War I
On 13 November 1914, Randall was among cadets and ex-cadets of the Officers Training Corps appointed as temporary second lieutenants in the infantry.

On 30 November 1916, he transferred to the General List of the Royal Flying Corps. By January 1917, he was posted to 32 Squadron as an Airco DH.2 pilot; he scored his first aerial victory with them on 23 January. He would score one more win with them, being wounded in the process, on 11 March 1917. On 3 June 1917, he was appointed a Flight Commander with the rank of temporary captain.

His second combat tour was as a fighter pilot with 85 Squadron, flying a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. This time around, he scored another eight aerial victories, culminating in the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross near war's end. His citation read simply:

"A daring and skilful airman who during recent operations has accounted for six enemy aeroplanes. He is conspicuous for his determination and devotion to duty."

Post World War I
On 1 August 1919, Randall was appointed an acting captain in the reorganized RAF.

He served in the Baltic during the aftermath of World War I. On 26 March 1920, he was awarded the Cross of Liberty Second Class by the government of Estonia.

On 23 December 1926, Flight Lieutenant Randall was convicted by general courtmartial and dismissed from the Royal Air Force. Captain Randall emigrated to Dominica, in the Caribbean, and settled in the scenic village of Delices, sometime before 13 September 1939 (the day Germany declared war on Poland) when he attended the burial of my mother in full uniform. My father, the Hon. L. C. Didier (1889-1987) - educator/farmer/politician (see his biography On the Pastures of Belvedere by Clayton Didier (Amazon.com ISBN 9781419681455) befriended him. I visited him regularly up to 1948 when I left Delices for secondary education in Roseau, the capital, and for several years thereafter during school term holidays.His fate is unknown after that.