Harold Redler

Lieutenant Harold Bolton Redler (27 January 1897 – 21 June 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with ten aerial victories. His most notable triumph was over a leading German ace, Adolf von Tutschek, whom he killed in action.

Early life and family Harold Bolton Redler was born in West Monkton, Somerset, the eldest son of Daniel Bolton Redler and Annie Pethick (née Crocker). Redler's grandfather Thomas John Redler, was a grain merchant and miller. Around 1900 Daniel and his brother Arnold broke away from the family business to form their own company Daniel Redler & Co. Ltd., initially at the City Flour Mill, Worcester, but then moved to Sharpness, Gloucestershire, in 1909. The brothers later went their separate ways; with Arnold inventing a system of handling bulk materials, and later founding the Redler company, now part of the Schenck Process Group, while Daniel relocated to South Africa, where he was a founder and director of the Tiger Oats & National Milling Co. Ltd., now Tiger Brands. Harold's parents were resident in Moorreesburg, South Africa, at the time of his death.

World War I Redler left South Africa at the end of 1915 to travel to England and enlist in the Royal Flying Corps. On 9 April 1917, Redler was appointed a flying officer, and was confirmed in his rank on 3 May.

He was posted to No. 40 Squadron in northern France, flying a Nieuport 23 single-seat fighter, and became a balloon buster with his first aerial victory on 7 May 1917. He would score twice more in June and July, driving down two Albatros D.IIIs. He then transferred to No. 24 Squadron, flying a S.E.5a fighter. He began his tenure with them with his greatest feat. There, on 21 June 1918, Redler and Captain Ian Henderson took off in Airco DH.9 No. D1018, to test the Lewis gun. However their aircraft crashed, and both men were killed.

Redler is buried at the cemetery of the Church of St Augustine, West Monkton, Somerset, England.

List of aerial victories

+Combat record (B1640) Observation balloon Destroyed North of Henin-Liétard, France 2 7 June 1917@ 1100 hours Nieuport 23 (B1558) Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Northeast of Ypres, Belgium 3 14 July 1917@ 0650 hours Nieuport 23(B1558) Albatros D.III Driven down out of control East of Douai, France 4 15 March 1918@ 1030 hours SE.5a(B79) Fokker Dr.I Driven down out of control Prémontré, France Adolf Ritter von Tutschek killed in action 5 18 March 1918@ 1140 hours SE.5a(B7824) German reconnaissance aircraft Driven down out of control Villers-le-Sec, Aisne, France Victory shared with Bernard Paul Gascoigne Beanlands 6 23 March 1918@ 1650 hours SE.5a(B7824) German reconnaissance aircraft Captured South of Berlancourt, Aisne, France 7 24 March 1918@ 1010 hours SE.5a(B7824) Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed Pithon, France 8 26 March 1918@ 0930 hours SE.5a(C1081) Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed by fire Estrées-Barleux, France 9 12 April 1918@ 1615 hours SE.5a(D275) Albatros D.V Destroyed Hangard-Moreuil, France 10 20 April 1918@ 1015 hours SE.5a(D275) Pfalz D.III Driven down out of control Bayonvillers, France