Charles Lupton

Captain Charles Roger Lupton (27 January 1898 – 9 May 1918) was a British World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. Biography Lupton was the only surviving son of Charles Lupton , solicitor and co-founder of the law firm DLA Piper, alderman, and Lord Mayor of Leeds 1915–16, and his wife Katharine, of Carr Head, Roundhay. His mother was the fourth daughter of Thomas Ashton, , of Ford Bank, Didsbury, Manchester, two of whose sons were Thomas Gair Ashton MP, who became Lord Ashton of Hyde, and Samuel Edgar Ashton. Lupton was educated at Hillbrow and Rugby Schools, leaving the latter in July 1916, before he was 18, to join the Royal Naval Air Service. He was commissioned as a temporary flight sub-lieutenant on 20 July 1916, and was granted Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 3734, flying a Maurice Farman biplane at RNAS Eastbourne, on 14 September 1916. He first served at home stations, and at Prawle Point in April 1917 he met with a serious accident which incapacitated him for two months. He was sent to Dunkirk in August 1917, when posted to No. 5 (Naval) Squadron flying the Airco DH.4 two-seater day bomber. Lupton gained his first victory on 28 September, driving down out of control an Albatros D.V over Blankenberge, and repeated the feat on 8 December over Aertrycke airfield. His crewman for both was Aerial Gun Layer Smith, and the second victory was shared with Flight Sub-Lieutenant John Gamon and AGL Winter.