28 Facts About Roderic Dallas

Beyond his personal combat record, Roderic Dallas achieved success as a squadron leader, both in the air and on the ground.

Roderic Dallas's family moved to Tenterfield, New South Wales, soon after the birth of his younger brother in 1893.

Roderic Dallas enjoyed the outdoors, and spent many hours in the mountains behind his family's home, observing birds of prey.

In July 1907, Roderic Dallas joined the assay office of the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company, and enrolled in the local technical college, where he took night classes in chemistry and technical drawing.

Roderic Dallas showed an early interest in aviation, fuelled by the establishment in 1911 of the Mount Morgan chapter of the Queensland Aero Club.

Roderic Dallas later transferred to a higher-paying job driving trucks for Iron Island ironstone quarries.

Roderic Dallas stayed fit through regular exercise at the gym, and played rugby union football.

Roderic Dallas had exceptionally keen eyesight, which he had trained by reading small print in newspapers at the six-foot length of his family's table.

Roderic Dallas paid his own passage to England and, once there, applied once more to the RFC.

Early in his career there, a practical joker imitating the commanding officer telephoned Roderic Dallas, who was the duty officer, and peremptorily ordered him to take off in a propellerless Breguet.

Roderic Dallas went on to score three more confirmed victories with his Nieuport.

Roderic Dallas named it Brown Bread, and it was the first of a series of 'Tripes' that he would fly and fight in over the next year.

Roderic Dallas became one of the best-known pilots of Sopwith Triplanes in the RNAS.

Roderic Dallas was nevertheless able to overcome their misgivings and established himself as the new CO with his personal demeanour and courage; the nickname of "Admiral" that they bestowed upon him was an affectionate one.

Roderic Dallas's men saw that he would not only look out for his rookie pilots, but would not shirk the dangers of ground attack sorties.

Roderic Dallas had several times been recommended for the Victoria Cross, but it was never approved.

Roderic Dallas strafed the German base at La Brayelle to "attract attention" before dropping a package on the aerodrome with a note reading, "If you won't come up here and fight, herewith a pair of boots for work on the ground, pilots for the use of".

Roderic Dallas then circled in mist until troops came to examine the bundle, whereupon he dropped two bombs and again shot up the base, causing "general panic".

Roderic Dallas was pleading with his father to quit the dangerous job of mining, with hints that he would support his parents by pioneering aviation in Australia.

Roderic Dallas harboured a long-standing ambition of flying from England back to Australia, which would be a record-setting journey.

Roderic Dallas disappeared on a solo mission the same day.

The common elements are that he was on patrol near the front line when he pounced on a German plane flying at a lower level, that there might have been another unknown British pilot in trouble, and that the Germans who shot Roderic Dallas down had dived from a still higher altitude.

News of Roderic Dallas's death was greeted with shock and disbelief by his squadron, one pilot recording:.

Roderic Dallas had become almost a legendary character in the RNAS.

Roderic Dallas was a pilot of quite extraordinary skill, a fighting man of astonishing gallantry, a humorist of a high order, and a black-and-white artist of unusual ability.

Roderic Dallas successfully led two different squadrons during his career, and was killed just before assuming command of a wing.

Roderic Dallas flew a score of different types of Allied aircraft, as well as captured German planes; he was instrumental in developing the Sopwith Triplane.

Roderic Dallas refers to his difficulties in reconciling previous accounts.