Adrian Tonks

Captain Adrian James Boswell Tonks (10 May 1898 – 14 July 1919) was a British First World War flying ace. He was officially credited with twelve aerial victories, and was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Early life and background Tonks was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, the son of Arthur George Tonks, a mechanical engineer, and his wife Alice.

World War I Tonks entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary flight sub-lieutenant with seniority from 13 August 1916. He received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 4206 after soloing a Maurice Farman biplane at the Royal Naval Air Service Training Establishment Cranwell on 28 December 1916.

Tonks was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 January 1918. On 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service was merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force, and No. 4 (Naval) became No. 204 Squadron RAF, On both 10 and 13 August, he drove down another Fokker D.VII, the latter being flown by Leutnant Dieter Collin, the Staffelführer of Jasta 56.

He received a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross in lieu of a second award on 3 December 1918. His citation read:

List of aerial victories +Combat record No.Date/TimeAircraft/Serial No.OpponentResultLocationNotesNo. 4 (Naval) Squadron RNAS1 22 August 1917@ 0945 Sopwith Camel(B3856) Albatros D.V Out of control South-east of Ostend 2 Albatros D.V Out of control 3 9 November 1917@ 1330 Sopwith Camel(B6256) DFW C Out of control North of Pervijze 4 23 November 1917@ 1400 Sopwith Camel(B6243) Albatros D.V Out of control East of Keiem No. 204 Squadron RAF5 30 June 1918@ 1430 Sopwith Camel(D1824) Fokker D.VII Out of control Zeebrugge 6 10 August 1918@ 1840 Sopwith Camel(C66) Fokker D.VII Out of control Gistel 7 13 August 1918@ 1915 Sopwith Camel(C66) Fokker D.VII Out of control South-east of Bailleul Shared with Lieutenant Harold W. M. Cumming.Leutnant Dieter Collin, Staffelführer of Jasta 56.8 15 August 1918@ 0830 Sopwith Camel(C66) Fokker D.VII Out of control East of Ypres 9 Fokker D.VII Out of control 10 Fokker D.VII Out of control 11 28 September 1918@ 1230 Sopwith Camel(D9600) Fokker D.VII Destroyed Werken 12 Fokker D.VII Out of control

Post-war career On 3 January 1919, Tonks was confirmed in his rank of captain. He was posted to No. 80 Squadron RAF in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, based at RAF Aboukir, Alexandria, but on 13 July 1919 he crashed his Sopwith Pup at Cairo, and died from his injuries the following day. He is buried in plot B.158 in the Hadra War Memorial Cemetery in Alexandria.