Charles Napier (RAF officer)

Captain Charles George Douglas Napier, MC, DCM (1892 – 15 May 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories before being killed in action.

[3] In August 1915, while serving as a corporal in the 47th Divisional Cyclist Company, Napier was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

[7] He would run his total to nine wins,[8] rounding off his tally with a triple victory on 9 May; he and his gunner Walter Beales were also shot down during this action, though without injury.

Ten days later, his award of the Military Cross was gazetted,[8] as follows: On one occasion during a low-flying bombing attack he descended to a height of 100 feet and dropped four bombs amongst a body of enemy troops, causing heavy casualties and scattering the enemy in all directions.

He fired twenty rounds at the two-seater, with the result that it crashed, and then attacked one of the scouts, which turned over completely, and finally went down in a vertical nose dive.