Gordon Apps

Lieutenant Gordon Frank Mason Apps (3 May 1899 – 24 October 1931) was a British-born World War I flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. After working for the Imperial Wireless Chain in England postwar, he returned to Canada and joined the nascent Royal Canadian Air Force. He performed pioneering aerial photography survey work while in the RCAF.

Early life Gordon Frank Mason Apps was born on 3 May 1899 in Lenham, Kent. He was the second oldest of the four sons of Kate Helena and Henry Apps, a sanitary inspector. Gordon Apps first attended the local Lenham School, then Sutton Valence School. Once educated, he worked for about a year and a half at the Tilling-Hastings munitions and engine factory.

World War I Gordon Apps followed his elder brother into the Artists Rifles in 1917; he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in late August. His training took him successively through No. 2 Officer Cadet Wing and No. 2 School of Instruction at Oxford before he transferred to No. 9 Training Squadron at Norwich for flight training on Maurice Farman Shorthorns and Longhorns. After soloing, he shipped out to RAF Turnberry's Gunnery School, then to RAF Ayr's Fighting School. He then went on to Shawbury to polish his skills in both 67 and 10 Training Squadrons. On 22 November 1917, he was forwarded to Italy to join 66 Squadron, arriving 29 December 1917.

On 4 May 1918, Apps set one opposing Albatros down in flames on the banks of the Piave River and downed another making headon firing passes on him. The latter foe crawled from the wreckage only to be strafed by another British pilot; this victim was probably Austro-Hungarian ace Andreas Dombrowski. On 24 May, Apps became an ace while flying as wingman to famed ace "Billy" Barker, being credited with another Albatros D.III destroyed.

Apps returned to Home Establishment in England. His posting over the next month is uncertain, but he spent November and December 1918 in a wireless course at Penshurst. He then served with 50 Squadron until discharged on 19 March 1919.

Post World War I For about two and a half years postwar, Apps supervised a construction crew of approximately 100 in building the Imperial Wireless Chain. A short-term job in Canada followed. In the meantime, Apps applied to the Royal Canadian Air Force. He joined his old commander "Billy" Barker in the new air force on 19 March 1924. After a round of assignments to Winnipeg, Victoria Beach, Barrie, and Norway House, he was posted to an aerial survey project in 1926, tasked to photograph in the Red Lake District.

Apps married Norma Clairs Kennedy at RCAF Station Winnipeg on 10 December 1927. Three years later, he was sent to RAF Calshot, England for a technical course. He spent 15 December 1930 through 19 January 1931 on leave in England. The course ran from 20 January until April, and Apps took another leave post-course. His father Henry Apps died during this time; this may have given reason for some of the leave. By 28 May 1931, Gordon Apps had returned to RCAF duty at Camp Borden.

On 24 October 1931, Apps was flying Fairchild 71 serial no. 114 with Sergeants John Pettit Hand, Humphrey Madden, Claude Keating and George Gillespie aboard. Apps fatally crashed while landing at Peterborough Airport. He and Hand died shortly afterwards in Hospital, the other passengers were injured but survived. His burial, accompanied by a RCAF military escort, was held in Winnipeg at the Chapel of Thompson Mortuary. He was buried at St. Johns.

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