David Hughes (RAF officer)

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Captain David James Hughes DFC (16 April 1899 – 21 June 1955) was a Welsh World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories. He was born in Hoole, Chester, England, to Welsh parents. Hughes joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 as a temporary second lieutenant and later became a pilot. After training, he served as an instructor before joining No. 3 Squadron RAF to fly the Sopwith Camel. Between 8 August and 23 October 1918 he destroyed two enemy aircraft, drove two others down out of control, and captured one. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in November 1918. Hughes left the RAF in January 1919. He moved to the United States in 1929 to work as a cotton broker. He died in Dallas, Texas, in 1955 from emphysema at age 56.