James McKinley Hargreaves [SEP] conflict
James McKinley Hargreaves
Sergeant James McKinley Hargreaves was a Scottish World War I flying ace. Despite being an observer, he became one of the first flying aces in history while flying with Lionel Rees, .
Military service.
Hargreaves joined the Royal Flying Corps in early 1913, aged 30, receiving service number 1232.
He was assigned No. 11 Squadron, the first British flying squadron to be equipped with a purpose-built fighter aircraft, the pusher Vickers Gunbus. The squadron arrived in France on 25 July
the F.B.5's performance proved to be inadequate for its intended role. This can be illustrated by noting that only the single pilot/observer team of Lionel Rees and James McKinley Hargreaves became aces while flying this type.
By the end of 1915, the aircraft was outclassed by the Fokker "Eindecker". Examples of the improved Vickers F.B.9 were sent to France, pending sufficient supplies of the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b, but the active career of the Gunbus was soon over. The remaining examples were mostly used as trainers.