| George Brian Gates | |
| Birth Date: | 1899 7, df=yes |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Hove, Sussex, England |
| Death Place: | Cuckfield, West Sussex, England |
| Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | Royal Navy Royal Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1917–1919 |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Unit: | No. 1 Squadron RNAS/No. 201 Squadron RAF |
| Awards: | Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Captain George Brian Gates (21 July 1899 – 1 July 1975) was a British World War I flying ace credited with 15 aerial victories, twelve of them enemy aircraft, and three observation balloons.[2]
Gates entered into the Royal Naval Air Service as a probationary flight officer (temporary) on 22 July 1917,[3] and was promoted to flight sub-lieutenant on 14 November 1917.
Gates was posted to No. 1 Naval Squadron in early 1918, flying the Sopwith Camel. He gained his first victory on 15 March 1918, destroying a Pfalz D.III, east of Diksmuide. By the time of his second, driving down 'out of control' a Fokker Dr.I south of Albert on 16 May, the RNAS had been merged with the Army's Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force. On 16 July he accounted for a Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft and an observation balloon, and a destroyed a second balloon on 19 July. On 10 August he destroyed two Halberstadt aircraft south east of Rosières.[2] On 27 August he was appointed a temporary captain. Gates shot down six more aircraft between 3 and 23 September, and finally another observation balloon on 27 September,[2] before being wounded in action.[4] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, which were both gazetted in November 1918.
After the war Gates left the RAF, being transferred to the unemployed list on 20 June 1919.
. Norman Franks . Sopwith Camel Aces of World War I . London, UK . Osprey Publishing . 2003 . 14 . 978-1-84176-534-1 .