DH.2 Aces
Distinguished pilots of the DH.2 included Victoria Cross winner Lanoe Hawker (eight victories), who was the first commander of No 24 Squadron and ace Alan Wilkinson. The commander of No. 32 Squadron, Lionel Rees won the Victoria Cross flying the D.H.2 for single handedly attacking a formation of 10 German two-seaters on 1 July 1916, destroying two. James McCudden became an ace in DH.2s to start his career as the Commonwealth's fourth ranking ace of the war.
German ace and tactician Oswald Boelcke was killed during a dogfight with No. 24 Squadron D.H.2s, however, this was due to a collision with one of his own wingmen, Erwin Böhme.
Fourteen aces scored five or more aerial victories using the DH.2; many went on to further success in later types also. They are listed below, followed by the number of their victories in the DH.2:
- Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne -->10 victories
- Alan Wilkinson --> 10 victories
- Selden Long --> 9 victories
- Arthur Gerald Knight --> 8 victories
- Eric C. Pashley --> 8 victories
- John Oliver Andrews --> 7 victories
- Sidney Cowan --> 7 victories
- Hubert Jones --> 7 victories
- William Curphey --> 6 victories
- Stanley Cockerell --> 5 victories
- Henry Evans --> 5 victories
- James McCudden --> 5 victories
- Robert Saundby --> 5 victories
- Harry Wood --> 5 victories
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