Allegiance United Kingdom Rank Flying Officer | Name George L. | |
Born 1 November 1894Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England ( 1894-11-01 ) Service/branch British ArmyRoyal Air Force Unit 3rd HussarsRoyal West Kent RegimentNo. 22 Squadron RFC/RAF Battles/wars | ||
Flying Officer George Searle Lomax Hayward (1 November 1894 – 16 August 1924) was an English World War I aerial observer credited with 24 victories. He served as an observer/gunner for fellow aces Frank Weare, Ernest Elton, and William Lewis Wells. Hayward scored the bulk of his wins, 22 of them, between 6 March and 22 April 1918, usually scoring two or three times in the same fight.
Contents
World War I service
Hayward originally enlisted in the 3rd Hussars, becoming a lance corporal. On 28 September 1916 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal West Kent Regiment. In late 1917 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, being appointed a flying officer (observer) on 6 December, with seniority from 23 October. Posted to No. 22 Squadron RFC, he scored twenty-four victories as an observer in the Bristol F.2 Fighter, between November 1917 and April 1918.
In July 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross. His citation read:
Temporary Second Lieutenant George Searle Lomax Hayward, Royal West Kent Regiment, attached Royal Flying Corps.Post-war career
Hayward left the Royal Air Force on 17 May 1919, when he was transferred to the unemployed list. However, on 24 October 1919 he was granted a short-service commission in the RAF as an observer officer.
By early 1920 he was in India surveying the main civil air route between Delhi and Karachi. On 1 December 1923 Hayward, by now a Flying Officer, was posted to the RAF Depot, pending assignment, and on 1 March 1924 he was posted to No. 2 Flying Training School at RAF Duxford.
Death
No.2 FTS moved to RAF Digby, Lincolnshire, in June 1924. There, on 15 August, Hayward was instructing Pilot Officer Charles Victor Breakey in a Avro 504K, when their aircraft suffered an engine failure and plunged into the ground. Both men died later that day from their injuries.