54 Facts About Albert Ball

Albert Ball was the first ace to become a British national hero.

Albert Ball was born on 14 August 1896 at a house on Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, Nottingham.

Albert Ball was raised with a knowledge of firearms, and conducted target practice in Sedgley's gardens.

Albert Ball studied at the Lenton Church School, The King's School, Grantham and Nottingham High School before transferring to Trent College in January 1911, at the age of 14.

Albert Ball was assigned to training recruits, but this rear-echelon role annoyed him.

In March 1915, Albert Ball began a short-lived engagement to Dorothy Elbourne.

In letters home Albert Ball recorded that he found flying "great sport", and displayed what Peter de la Billiere described as "almost brutal" detachment regarding accidents suffered by his fellow trainees:.

When his instructor commented sarcastically on the landing, Albert Ball angrily exclaimed that he had only 15 minutes experience in the plane, and that if this was the best instruction he was going to get, he would rather return to his old unit.

The instructor relented, and Albert Ball then soloed again and landed successfully in five consecutive flights.

Albert Ball completed his training at Central Flying School, Upavon, and was awarded his wings on 22 January 1916.

Albert Ball was unhappy with the hygiene of his assigned billet in the nearest village, and elected to live in a tent on the flight line.

Albert Ball built a hut for himself to replace the tent and cultivated a garden.

Albert Ball was as much a loner on the ground as in the air, preferring to stay in his hut on the flight line away from other squadron members.

Albert Ball acted as his own mechanic on his aircraft and, as a consequence, was often untidy and dishevelled.

Albert Ball ended the day by fighting 14 Germans some 15 miles behind their lines.

Albert Ball's new commanding officer gave Ball a free rein to fly solo missions, and assigned him his own personal aircraft and maintenance crew.

Albert Ball found that it helped his fellow squadron members identify his aircraft and confirm his combat claims.

Albert Ball was the first British ace to become a household name, and found that his celebrity was such that he could not walk down the streets of Nottingham without being stopped and congratulated.

Albert Ball's achievements had a profound impact on budding flyer Mick Mannock, who would become the United Kingdom's top-scoring ace and receive the Victoria Cross.

Albert Ball intended to use them on an observation balloon.

Albert Ball had it rigged to fly tail-heavy to facilitate his changing of ammunition drums in the machine-gun, and had a holster built into the cockpit for the Colt automatic pistol that he habitually carried.

Albert Ball had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order and bar simultaneously on 26 September 1916.

Albert Ball was awarded the Russian Order of St George the same month.

Now that Albert Ball had been posted back to England, he was lionised as a national hero with a reputation as a fearless pilot and expert marksman.

Albert Ball was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant on 8 December 1916.

About this time he was debriefed by flying instructor Philip Gribble, who was charged with discovering the tactics of ace fighter pilots; Gribble decided Albert Ball operated on "paramount courage and a bit of luck".

Albert Ball asked Gribble to let him try a Bristol Scout, which he landed badly, seriously damaging the undercarriage; Albert Ball asked for another machine to try again, with the same result, after which he consoled himself by eating "seven pounds of chocolate".

Albert Ball hoped to be able to take an example of the type to France with him, but the prototype was not completed until after his death in action.

Albert Ball was unimpressed, finding the heavier, more stable fighter less responsive to the controls than the Nieuports he was used to.

On 19 February 1917, in a tribute from his native city, Albert Ball became an Honorary Freeman of Nottingham.

In London, Albert Ball encountered Canadian pilot Billy Bishop, who had not as yet seen combat.

Albert Ball invited her to fly with him, and she accepted, wearing a leather flying coat that they had borrowed.

On 23 April 1917, Albert Ball was under strict orders to stay over British lines, but still engaged the Germans five times in his Nieuport.

Albert Ball was so overwrought that it was some time after landing before he could finish thanking God, then dictating his combat report.

Albert Ball had continued to undertake his habitual lone patrols, but had of late been fortunate to survive.

The heavier battle damage that Albert Ball's aircraft were now suffering bore witness to the improved team tactics being developed by his German opponents.

Albert Ball proposed that the pair attack the Red Baron's squadron at its airfield at dawn, catching the German pilots off guard.

Flieger-Hauptmann Albert Ball, Royal Flying Corps.

In Trenchard's opinion, Albert Ball had "a wonderfully well-balanced brain, and his loss to the Flying Corps was the greatest loss it could sustain at that time".

The Imperial War Graves Commission were working at the time to consolidate the British war graves into fewer cemeteries; 23 British bodies in graves in the location where Albert Ball was buried were moved to the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, but at his father's request Albert Ball's grave was allowed to remain.

Albert Ball's is the only British grave from the First World War in this extension, the rest being German.

Albert Ball's father bought the French field where his son had died and erected a memorial stone on the crash site.

In 1929 the bronze model for Albert Ball's statue was presented by his father to the National Portrait Gallery in London, where it is on display.

In 2006, Albert Ball was one of six recipients of the Victoria Cross to be featured on a special commemorative edition of Royal Mail stamps marking the 150th anniversary of the award.

Albert Ball took part in twenty-six combats in the air and destroyed eleven hostile aeroplanes, drove down two out of control, and forced several others to land.

Albert Ball, flying alone, on one occasion fought six hostile machines, twice he fought five and once four.

Albert Ball has destroyed forty-three German aeroplanes and one balloon, and has always displayed most exceptional courage, determination and skill.

Albert Ball then attacked another of the machines, which had been firing at him, and shot it down into a village, when it landed on the top of a house.

Albert Ball then went to the nearest aerodrome for more ammunition, and, returning, attacked three more machines, causing them to dive under control.

Albert Ball dived on to them and broke up their formation, and then shot down the nearest one, which fell on its nose.

Albert Ball came down to about 500 feet to make certain it was wrecked.

Albert Ball then returned, crossing the lines at a low altitude, with his machine very much damaged.

Albert Ball attacked three hostile machines and brought one down, displaying great courage and skill.

Albert Ball has brought down eight hostile machines in a short period, and has forced many others to land.