JOHN HEDLEY (1887-1977)

Lieutenant Makepeace suddenly put the Bristol fighter into an abrupt nosedive. Taken by surprise, Captain Hedley was thrown out of the aircraft due to the negative G effect and began a free fall

- JOSEPH NORONHA

THE HISTORY OF AVIATION HAS A WEALTH OF REMARKABLE experiences and strange stories, some barely believable. And military aviation has seen some of the most incredible of these incidents. The lives and achievements of each flying ace, especially, contribute to the rich tapestry of the history of aerial warfare. However, there is often a lack of witnesses, as well as the “fog of war”, that makes it challenging to sift fact from fiction. The story of John Hedley, a First World War British ace, is one that clearly crosses the limits of credulity, yet cannot be discounted.

John Herbert Hedley, was born on July 19, 1887, in Northumberland, England. Hedley joined the British Army in August 1914 and was initially with the Northumberland Fusiliers. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in 1917. Captain Hedley was credited with eleven aerial victories, all while he was with No. 20 Squadron flying the Bristol F.2b, a two-seat British biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.