Captain Stanley Cockerell AFC (9 February 1895 – 29 November 1940) was a British World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He later became a test pilot for Vickers and attempted the first flight from Cairo to Cape Town.
Early life
Cockerell was born in Wood Green, London. After leaving school he became a motor engineer.
World War I
The day after war was declared, Cockerell joined up as a despatch rider in the Royal Flying Corps. In April 1915 he became an air mechanic 2nd class and later that year was promoted to air mechanic 1st class.
Cockerell was granted his Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate No. 3271 on 21 July 1916 and became a sergeant pilot with 24 Squadron. He used an Airco DH.2 on 14 September 1916 to share a victory with Arthur Gerald Knight, when they set a Fokker D.II aflame. He scored again on 30 September, again setting his enemy on fire. Cockerell was wounded in the hip on 10 October (the bullet was never removed). He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 27 October 1916. He then took a break until 4 February 1917, when he shared in the destruction of a reconnaissance plane. Two days later, he was the sole destroyer of another reconnaissance plane. On 2 April 1917, he destroyed an Albatros D.III for his fifth victory. He upgraded to an Airco DH.5 on 25 May for his sixth kill, when he destroyed another Albatros D.III. Cockerell was then withdrawn to England to serve in Home Defence squadrons at Hornchurch. He was appointed a flight commander on 1 September 1917, with the temporary rank of captain. He returned to France in July 1918 with 151 Squadron. On 4 August, while flying a Sopwith Camel in the squadron's night intruder role, he bombed the German aerodrome at Guizancourt. A Gotha bomber subsequently attempted a recovery at the field, and Cockerell destroyed it for his seventh consecutive victory.
Cockerell was appointed Chevalier of the Order of the Crown in August 1917 and was awarded the Croix de guerre in March 1918, both by Belgium. Although he was later regraded as a substantive flight lieutenant in line with the RAF's new rank system, he continued to be generally known as "Captain Cockerell".
Post-World War I
On 21 August 1919, Cockerell flew a Vickers Vimy from London to Amsterdam loaded with copies of The Times, which were then sold for the benefit of local charities.