Died Unknown Allegiance United Kingdom | Rank Corporal Name M. Mather | |
Service/branch British Army
Royal Air Force Unit No. 20 Squadron RFC/RAF Battles/wars World War I
• Western Front | ||
Corporal Malcolm Brown Mather DCM (b. 1899) was a British World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories while flying as an observer.
Military service
The son of Robert and Annie (Brown) Mather, Malcolm Brown Mather was a carpenter before enlisting into the Royal Flying Corps on 4 December 1916. He served as an observer/gunner in No. 20 Squadron flying the Bristol F.2b two-seater fighter.
His first aerial victory came on 2 December 1917, flying with Second Lieutenant Wilfred Beaver, when he destroyed an Albatros D.V south-east of Passendale. On 5 December he and Beaver drove down 'out of control' another D.V over Dadizeele. Mathers' next two victories came on 4 February 1918 over the Menen–Roulers road when he and pilot Lieutenant Rex G. Bennett drove down one D.V and sent another down in flames. On 17 February he and Second Lieutenant Ernest Lindup destroyed a Pfalz D.III over Westroosbeke. Mathers gained another double victory on 9 March with Second Lieutenant Leslie H. T. Capel, driving down two D.Vs south of Menen. For his final victory Mather was paired with Wilfred Beaver again, when he sent another D.V down in flames north of Ploegsteert Wood.
Mather's award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal was gazetted on 1 May 1918. His citation read:
20624 Corporal M. Mather, RFC.