Harold Stackard

Lieutenant Harold Francis Stackard (2 March 1895 – 24 November 1949) was a First World War British flying ace credited with fifteen aerial victories. In addition to serving as a pilot during the war, he was a Royal Air Force instructor.

Background Harold Francis Stackard, son of Stephen and Mary Ann Lydia Pipe Stackard, was born on 2 March 1895 in Norwich. His birth was registered in the second quarter of 1895. He was the second of five children. At the time of the 1901 census, his family was still living in Norwich and his father was described as a commercial traveller in the tea trade. On 26 December 1916, he was the pilot of Bristol Scout (N5405) when its undercarriage collapsed upon landing at the Royal Naval Air Station at Redcar in Yorkshire. After his training was completed, the pilot spent eight months on the Western Front with No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service. Despite spending four years in the service, having been wounded, and having been credited with fifteen aerial victories, Stackard does not appear to have been decorated.

Harold Stackard scored his first victory on 2 May 1917 when, from his Sopwith Pup, a single-seat biplane with serial number 9916, he destroyed a two-seat aircraft over Middelkerke, West Flanders, Belgium. The victory was shared with a Canadian, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Harold Mott. On 31 May 1917, while piloting a Sopwith Pup, he sent a two-seater out of control over Ostend, West Flanders. The kill was shared with Flight Commander Fred Banbury and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Shearer. Stackard scored his third victory, from the single-seat

Stackard's remaining twelve victories were all from Sopwith Camel aircraft, single-seat biplanes. Harold Stackard transferred to the No. 157 Squadron, formed in July 1918, of the Royal Air Force. He had the opportunity to fly the Sopwith Salamander fighter before he left the service.

After the war On 7 Nov 1920, Harold Francis Stackard of Muswell Hill, London, married Ruth Mary Savage, daughter of Herbert Francis Savage and his wife Emma Florence King Savage, of Winchester. Harold eventually became branch manager of Commercial Union Assurance Company, an insurance company, in Calcutta, India. His widow survived him by nearly 46 years, and died at the age of 100, having been born on 25 July 1895, and having her death registered in October 1995.

Gallery of aircraft downed