Dublin-Born WWI Ace Dennis Latimer Shot Down

Dublin-born WWI ace Dennis Latimer is shot down on August 22, 1918, while flying a Bristol F.2 Fighter with 20 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. Latimer, alongside his observer Lieutenant T.C. Noel, was intercepted and forced down by German fighters, likely from Jasta 5, during a patrol over the Western Front.

Latimer was one of the top British aces of the First World War, credited with 28 aerial victories between March and August 1918, making him the highest-scoring ace in 20 Squadron. Most of his victories were achieved with a series of skilled observers, reflecting the deadly effectiveness of the Bristol Fighter when flown aggressively as a two-seater combat aircraft.

After being shot down, Latimer was captured and held as a prisoner of war until the Armistice in November 1918.