Allegiance United Kingdom Name Augustus Paget Rank Second lieutenant | Unit No. 66 Squadron RAF Role RAF officer | |
Buried at Fontanafredda Communal Cemetery, Pordenone, Italy (45°58′46″N 12°34′50″E / 45.97944°N 12.58056°E / 45.97944; 12.58056Coordinates: 45°58′46″N 12°34′50″E / 45.97944°N 12.58056°E / 45.97944; 12.58056) Battles/wars World War I
• Italian Front Died 1918, Fontanafredda, Italy Place of burial Province of Pordenone, Italy Awards Distinguished Flying Cross Battles and wars World War I, Italian Front Service/branch British Army, Royal Air Force | ||
Second Lieutenant Augustus Paget was a British World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.
Biography
Augustus Paget was one of 13 children born to George Lewis Paget (b. 1849), of Kenilworth Farm, Bromham, Wiltshire, and his wife Harriet Miriam.
Paget served in the 27th Territorial Reserve Battalion, before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. On 10 September 1917 he was sent to the 1st Officer Cadet Wing for basic military training. He attended No 1 School of Military Aeronautics from 13 October, and No. 2 School of Military Aeronautics from 2 November. From cadet he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant (on probation) on 1 January 1918.
On 2 February 1918 he was assigned to No. 35 Wing, and posted to No. 1 Training Depot Station. He was transferred to No. 63 Training Depot Station on 20 March, and was confirmed in his rank on 25 May. Paget was posted to No. 2 Flying School on 24 June, and on 10 August was assigned to No. 14 Wing, and on 15 August to No. 66 Squadron in Italy.
He gained his first aerial victory on 15 September when he destroyed a Berg D.I north-east of Feltre. On 25 October he was credited with two Hansa-Brandenburg C.I reconnaissance aircraft driven down out of control west of Feltre, one solo, and one shared with Lieutenant Darrell Joseph Tepoorten. On 27 October he destroyed an observation balloon, and the next day shot down in flames two Albatros D.V fighters over Godega aerodrome. On 30 October his aircraft was shot down over Fontanafredda by anti-aircraft fire, and he was killed.
Paget is buried in the Communal Cemetery in Fontanafredda, and is also commemorated, alongside his older brothers Edwin and Colin, on a memorial plaque at Saint Nicholas' Church at Bromham.
Paget's award of the Distinguished Flying Cross was gazetted posthumously on 1 January 1919.