Henry Eric Dolan Explained

Henry Eric Dolan
Birth Date:20 January 1896
Placeofburial:La Laiterie Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West Flanders, Belgium
Birth Place:St. Leonards, Sussex, England
Death Place:In the vicinity of Wulverghem, Belgium
Allegiance:Canada
United Kingdom
Branch:Canadian Army
British Army
Royal Air Force
Rank:Lieutenant
Unit:Royal Field Artillery
No. 74 Squadron RFC
Awards:Military Cross
Relations:Captain Gerald Roberts Nolan, RN (brother)[1]

Lieutenant Henry Eric Dolan (20 January 1896 – 12 May 1918) was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.[2]

Biography

Henry Eric Dolan was born in England, a son of Alfred Archer Dolan, a mining engineer and Violet Eliza Edgeworth (Hanrick) Dolan.[3] Dolan's parents later lived at Banbury, Oxfordshire. Henry had a brother, Gerald Roberts Dolan. Educated at Downside School,[4] he moved to Canada. Soon after the outbreak of WWI, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.[5] On 20 November 1914 he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery, and was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 31 January 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1917.

On 31 August 1917 he was appointed a flying officer in the Royal Flying Corps, and transferred to the General List. In early 1918 he was posted to No. 74 Squadron, which operated Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5as on the Western Front.[2] He was assigned to 'A' Flight, under the leadership of "Mick" Mannock.[6] Dolan scored his first victory when he shot down an Albatros D.V near Merville on 12 April 1918. He scored steadily throughout the following month, notching his seventh triumph on 11 May.

The following day, Dolan fell under the guns of Raven Freiherr von Barnekow.[2] He is buried in plot II, row D, grave 8 at La Laiterie Military Cemetery, Heuvelland, West Flanders, Belgium.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Royal Navy Officers 1939–1945 (D) . Hans . Houterman . Jeroen . Koppes . unithistories.com . 2014 . 21 November 2014.
  2. Web site: Henry Eric Dolan . The Aerodrome . 2014 . 21 November 2014 .
  3. Web site: Alfred Archer Dolan (deceased) . Maria Teresa . Padillo Rivademar de Dolan . geni.com . 2014 . 21 November 2014.
  4. Book: Downside Review . 1916.
  5. Web site: Lieutenant Henry Eric Dolan . Canadian Great War Project . 2014 . 21 November 2014.
  6. Web site: Edward Mick Mannock: World War I RAF Ace Pilot . O'Brien . Browne . historynet.com . 2007 . 21 November 2014.
  7. Web site: Dolan, Henry Eric . . 2014 . 21 November 2014.