Henry Woollett
Henry Winslow Woollett, DSO, MC & Bar (5 August 1895 – 31 October 1969) was a British World War I fighter ace and the highest-scoring British pilot who busted balloons. He had 35 aerial victories, including 11 balloons.
He was born in Southwold, Suffolk, and grew up there, studying at Wellingborough School. He planned to study medicine but joined the army when the war began. He served as an infantry officer in the Lincolnshire Regiment and fought at Gallipoli. In 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, trained quickly as a pilot, and became a flying officer in October 1916. He scored his first victory on 5 April 1917 flying a DH.2, and he became a flying ace on 17 August 1917.
Woollett flew with No. 24 Squadron and later No. 43 Squadron in France, mainly in the Sopwith Camel. He achieved many wins in 1918, including several balloons. One Camel in particular, serial D6402, was used for many of his victories. He was known for a flamboyant style and even tried experimental camouflage on his aircraft, which his commanders asked him to remove. Belgian ace Willy Coppens praised his skill.
By the end of the war his tally was 35 victories: 20 enemy aircraft destroyed (4 in flames), 4 out of control, and 11 balloons. He received the Military Cross (with Bar) and the Distinguished Service Order, along with France’s Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre with Palm.
After the war, Woollett continued in the Royal Air Force, serving in the Middle East and at training schools, and he commanded No. 23 Squadron at Kenley. He left the RAF in 1932. He briefly returned to service in World War II in a training role before resigning in 1942. He died in 1969.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:04 (CET).