Involvement in World War I
Thayre first flew operationally with No. 16 Squadron RFC (Royal Flying Corps) in France, in BE2 aircraft. In this two-seater aircraft, his first victory was achieved on 18 March 1916 when his observer, Lieutenant C. R. Davidson, shot down an attacking German Fokker E.III fighter aircraft. On 10 July, Second Lieutenant Thayre was promoted to Temporary Captain. On 1 September, he was granted permanent appointment as Lieutenant.
Thayre was later posted to No. 20 Squadron, flying FE2d aircraft. He teamed up with Francis Cubbon, with whom he claimed two victories on 29 April 1917.
On 1 May, the duo shot down an Albatros two-seater of FA 6, killing its crew of two, while on 3 May 1917 Thayre and Cubbon engaged twenty-six Albatros D.III scout aircraft, claiming two enemy aircraft shot down. At last, having exhausted their machine gun ammunition in that fight, Thayre and Cubbon used their automatic pistols as weapons of last resort.
They would score fifteen victories together during the course of May 1917. When Britain's leading ace, Albert Ball crashed to his death on 7 May, Thayre found himself lagging only his own gunner, Cubbon, and Billy Bishop in the ace race of the Royal Flying Corps.
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