John Wallwork (aviator)
John Wilson Wallwork (1898–1922) was a British World War I fighter ace. Born in Radcliffe, Lancashire, he joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and served as a flying officer with No. 40 Squadron, flying the S.E.5a. He shot down five enemy planes between March and April 1918, earning ace status and the Military Cross.
After the war, Wallwork stayed in the Royal Air Force and received a short service commission as a flying officer in 1919. In 1922, during the Hendon air display, he took part in an air race flying a prototype Westland Weasel and finished second, behind the Avro 549 Aldershot.
Wallwork died on 18 December 1922 when the Gloster Nightjar he was delivering to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment crashed at Brockworth, Gloucestershire due to engine failure. He was buried at St Mary’s Church in Radcliffe on 22 December 1922.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:28 (CET).