First World War
After the declaration of war, Edgar Percival joined the 7th Australian Light Horse in 1915, being stationed in the Middle East, but by 1916 he transferred to the British Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC). After going solo in 20 minutes in 1917, he was assigned to a combat squadron in France flying fighters in Billy Bishop's No. 60 Squadron. Percival flew many sorties accompanying the Canadian ace. Noted for his flying skills, he was promoted to Captain, and later transferred to No. 11 Squadron as one of its founding members, seeing service in the Middle East and Greece. In 1918, while still in the services and posted to Egypt, Percival designed his first powered aircraft, "a special-purpose aircraft based on the Bristol F.2B, with the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine."
Read more about this topic: Edgar Percival
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or war:
“But, where the road runs near the stream,
Oft through the trees they catch a glance
Of passing troops in the sun’s beam—
Pennon, and plume, and flashing lance!
Forth to the world those soldiers fare,
To life, to cities, and to war!”
—Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)
“There is something to be said for government by a great aristocracy which has furnished leaders to the nation in peace and war for generations; even a Democrat like myself must admit this. But there is absolutely nothing to be said for government by a plutocracy, for government by men very powerful in certain lines and gifted with the “money touch,” but with ideals which in their essence are merely those of so many glorified pawnbrokers.”
—Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)