Second Lieutenant Ralph Luxmore Curtis (19 March 1898 – 21 September 1917) was a World War I British flying ace credited with fifteen aerial victories.
However, he did so by falsifying his date of birth, claiming to have been born on 19 March 1896 and, therefore, two years older than his actual age of eighteen.
Curtis scored his fourth aerial victory from his Bristol F.2b (A7107) when he and his observer Uniacke destroyed an Albatros D.V over Vitry, France on 7 July 1917.
On 20 August 1917, Curtis scored his eighth aerial victory when he and observer Uniacke sent an Albatros D.V out of control over Ghistelles.
Two days later, Curtis had a double victory when he, with Uniacke as observer, destroyed one Albatros D.V and sent another out of control, both over Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium.
His eleventh kill occurred on 2 September 1917, when he and observer Uniacke sent an Albatros D.V out of control east of Diksmuide, West Flanders, Belgium.
[7] Curtis had his fourteenth aerial victory on 14 September 1917 when his Bristol F.2b (A7224), with Uniacke as observer, defeated an Albatros D.V, destroying it over Ghistelles.
It was shared with the crew of Bristol F.2b (A7222), pilot Sergeant J Oldham and observer Second Air Mechanic William Walker.
[13] Uniacke was captured and became a prisoner of war, and Curtis died that day in a German dressing station from the wounds that he had sustained in the combat.