As part of the 49th Brigade in the 16th (Irish) Division, the 7th Inniskillings were initially based at Tipperary,[4] where Hazell was promoted to lieutenant on 4 June 1915.
[6] He was appointed a flying officer on 5 June,[7] and survived a severe crash before completing his training, and eventually joined No.
Flying Nieuport 17 Scouts, he shot down 20 enemy aircraft between March and August 1917,[1] being appointed a flight commander with the acting rank of captain on 25 May,[8] and was awarded the Military Cross on 26 July.
His citation read: Temporary Lieutenant Thomas Falcon Hazell, General List and Royal Flying Corps.
The escort was led by German ace Ernst Udet, who attacked and riddled Hazell's petrol tank, propeller, and two longerons with bullets.
His citation read: Captain (Acting Major) Tom Falcon Hazell, MC, DFC.
On 4th September he rendered exceptionally valuable service in leading his flight to attack hostile balloons that were making a certain road impassable.
[16]On 1 August 1919 Hazell was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force as a captain,[17] returning to No.
[18] In June 1920 he took part in the RAF's Aerial Pageant at Hendon, in which he shot down a kite balloon from a Sopwith Snipe.
[25] In 1944, at the age of 52, Hazell became the commander of "D" Company, 24th (Tettenhall) Battalion, South Staffordshire Home Guard during the later part of the Second World War.
In 2014 his grave, which had been largely forgotten and neglected, was restored, repaired, and re-dedicated in a ceremony which was held on 4 August 2014, the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the First World War.