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South African airman

Andrew Frederick Weatherby (Anthony) Beauchamp Proctor, (4 September 1894 – 21 June 1921) was a South African airman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was South Africa's leading ace of the First World War, being credited with 54 aerial victories.

Beauchamp Proctor was born 4 September 1894 in Mossel Bay, Cape Colony, the second son of a school teacher. He attended the oldest school in the country, South African College Schools, Cape Town, where he was a resident of the oldest residence in the country, College House Residence (where his father was warden). He was studying engineering at University of Cape Town when the European war broke out. He took leave from his studies to join the Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles. He served as a signalman in the German South West Africa campaign. In August 1915, he was demobilised with an honorable discharge. He promptly went to work with the South African Field Telegraph and re enrolled in university. He managed to complete his third year of college before re enlisting, this time with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), in March 1917. He was accepted as an Air Mechanic Third Class. From there, he passed on to pilot training at the School of Military Aeronautics at Oxford in England, where he was also commissioned. He managed to learn to fly despite his wiry stature of 5 feet (2 m). His aircraft was altered to accommodate him; his seat was raised so he could have a better view from the cockpit and so he could reach controls. Blocks of wood were also fastened on his rudder bar so he could reach it. On 10 June 1917, he soloed after just over five hours' flying time. He crashed upon landing, wiping out the landing gear. Nevertheless, he continued to fly solo. He was passed on to a bomber squadron, Number 84, with a little under ten hours' flying experience. When he joined 84 Squadron in July 1917, it was re forming as a fighter squadron.

On 23 September 1917, the unit went to France flying SE5s. Under the command of Major William Sholto Douglas, the unit became one of the most effective scout squadrons in the RFC/RAF (Royal Air Force) during 1918. The squadron would be credited with a victory total of 323, and would produce 25 aces. However, Beauchamp Proctor would be pre eminent, with almost triple the number of successes of the second leading ace. He was not particularly esteemed as a flier, but was a deadly shot. Beauchamp Proctor's piloting skills can be judged by the fact he had three landing accidents before he ever shot down an enemy plane. He continued to fly the SE5 with the aforementioned modifications to the aircraft's seat and controls, something his Philadelphia born American squadron mate, Joseph "Child Yank" Boudwin, who stood only two inches taller and who would himself eventually be posted to the USAAS's S. E. 5a equipped 25th Aero Squadron just days before the Armistice, also had to use. The alterations to relatively primitive controls could have contributed to Beauchamp Proctor's poor airmanship. His initial confirmed victory did not come until the turn of the year. On 3 January 1918, he sent a German two seater 'down out of control'. He then claimed four more victories in February, becoming an ace on the final day of the month. Only one of his five victories resulted in the destruction of an enemy; the others were planes sent down as 'out of control'. March brought four more victories; three of them were scored within five minutes on 17 March. He tallied one victory in April. Among his 11 victories for the month of May were five on 19 May. On that morning, he knocked an enemy observation plane out of the battle; fifteen minutes later, he destroyed an Albatros D. V scout. That evening, at about 6:35 PM, he downed three more Albatros D. Vs. By 31 May, his roll had climbed to 21 victims—16 fighters and five observation aircraft. By this point, he had destroyed six enemy planes single handed, and shared the destruction of two others. He drove ten down out of control, and shared in another 'out of control' victory. Two of his victims were captured. Certainly a creditable record, and like many other aces, with no conquests over balloons. The next day marked a change of focus for him; he shot down an observation balloon. Balloons, guarded by anti aircraft artillery and patrolling fighter airplanes, were very dangerous targets. Commonly they were hunted by co ordinated packs of fighters. For the remainder of his career, he would choose to try to blind the enemy by concentrating on shooting down kite balloons and observation aircraft. Also notable is the drop in his "out of control" victories; from here on out, the record shows destruction after destruction of the enemy. His June string would only run to 13 June, but in that time, he would destroy four balloons, an observation two seater and a fighter. Only one fighter went down out of control. On 22 June, he was awarded the Military Cross. July would pass without incident. On 3 August, he was granted one of the first ever Distinguished Flying Crosses. The break in his victory string lasted almost a month, as he went on home leave and helped a recruitment drive for the RAF. On 8 August, he returned and resumed with tally number 29, another balloon. On 9 August, Beauchamp Proctor was leading No. 84 Squadron on a patrol over their base at Bertangles, with Boudwin and six foot four tall, fellow South African Hugh Saunders as wingmen. The threesome got involved in a heated engagement at 2:00 pm, that involved them in combat against Fokker D. VII fighters of JG I, led that day by the future Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. Unsuccessful at increasing his total that day, Beauchamp Proctor would claim an additional 14 aircraft, and end the month with his claims list extended to 43. One memorable day was 22 August; he attacked a line of six enemy balloon over the British 3rd Corps front. He set the first one afire with his machine guns and forced the other five to the ground, the observers taking to their parachutes. His 15 victories for August would include five balloons, all destroyed, and two more two seater planes. He was now up to 43 victories. His September claims would be all balloons—four of them. In the first few days of October, he would destroy three more balloons and three Fokker D. VII fighters, one of which burned. Another D. VII spun down out of control. On 8 October, he was hit by ground fire and wounded in the arm, ending his front line service. Beauchamp Proctor's victory total was 54; two (and one shared) captured enemy aircraft, 13 (and three shared) balloons destroyed, 15 (and one shared) aircraft destroyed, and 15 (and one shared) aircraft 'out of control'. His 16 balloons downed made him the leading British Empire balloon buster. On 2 November, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, followed by the Victoria Cross on 30 November. He scored all of his 54 victories in the SE5, becoming the most successful pilot in the type.

He was discharged from hospital in March 1919 and embarked on a four month long lecture tour of the US, before returning to England and qualifying as a seaplane pilot with a permanent commission as a flight lieutenant in the RAF. After his VC investiture at Buckingham Palace in November 1919 he was awarded a year's leave, and this enabled him finish his BSc degree in Engineering.

Beauchamp Proctor was killed on 21 June 1921 in a training accident flying a Sopwith Snipe, in preparation for an air show at the RAF Hendon. His aircraft went into a vicious spin after performing a slow loop, and he was killed in the ensuing crash. At least one observer remarked that the loss of control and subsequent crash of the aircraft could have been linked to Proctor's diminutive size. He was originally buried at Upavon, Wiltshire, but in August 1921 his body was returned to South Africa where he was given a state funeral. There still exists confusion over Beauchamp Proctor's given name. For decades he was listed as "Anthony" but more recent scholarship indicates "Andrew", which apparently is the name on his tombstone.