Melville Waddington

Lieutenant Melville Wells Waddington (21 December 1895 – 14 August 1945) was a World War I Canadian flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. He was the first observer ace in No. 20 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps to score a victory in the Bristol Fighter.

Background

Melville Wells Waddington, son of Herbert Waddington (5 Nov 1867 – 24 May 1919) and his wife Edna Judd Waddington, was born on 21 December 1895 in Toronto, Canada. At the time of the 1901 census, his family was living in Toronto, where they continued to reside in 1911. His father was an accountant and financier. Melville Waddington was reported to be a descendant of John Waddington of Hulme, Manchester.

Military career

Melville Waddington served with the 12th Brigade Ammunition Column of the Canadian Field Artillery, receiving his commission in March 1916. He was found to be fit for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 21 April 1916. He is credited with twelve aerial victories as an observer with No. 20 Squadron. The first seven were with F.E.2d aircraft, the last five with Bristol F.2b planes. All of his victories were against Albatros aircraft.

On 29 June 1917, from F.E.2d (A6498), Lieutenant Waddington and his pilot Lieutenant Reginald Milburn Makepeace sent an Albatros D.V out of control over Houthem, Belgium. This was the observer's first aerial victory. He racked up his second on 6 July 1917, from F.E.2d (A6498) piloted by Second Lieutenant Malcolm McCall. They destroyed an Albatros D.V in flames over Comines. Waddington and Makepeace scored four additional victories together, for a total of twelve for Waddington, five of those in Bristols. On 5 September 1917, from Bristol F.2b (A7203), they sent an Albatros D.V out of control west of Lille, France. This was the ninth victory for Waddington. His tenth was scored on 11 September 1917, from Bristol (A7214), when Waddington and Makepeace destroyed an Albatros D.V east of Menen. On 17 October 1917, they racked up a double victory (Waddington's eleventh and twelfth) when, from Bristol (A7255), they sent 2 Albatros D.Vs out of control, one over Zonnebeke and the other northeast of Zonnebeke. He served as an instructor, The London Gazette of 20 May 1919 announced that, on 31 March 1919, Lieutenant M. W. Waddington of the Royal Air Force, and Lieutenant of the Canadian Field Artillery, relinquished his commission on ceasing to be employed. This was also reported in the 29 May 1919 edition of Flight.

After the war

According to aviation historian Norman Franks, Waddington was employed as a real estate and insurance salesman after the war. On 14 August 1945, Waddington had a second heart attack and died.

Gallery of aircraft