English: Henry James Gray Rudolf, First Lieutenant, R.A.F., Forty-First Squadron, with Second Army, B.E.F. Born in Canada on 20 July 1891. Enlisted in RFC, Baltimore, Aug 1917; commissioned January 1918.

Identifier: NewEnglandaviatVol2Tick (find matches)
Title: New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Ticknor, Caroline, 1866-1937, ed
Subjects: Biography Aeronautics World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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HENRY JAMES GRAY RUDOLF First Lieutenant, R.A.F., Forty-First Squadron, with Second Army, B.E.F.
Son of James R. and Edna (Havelock) Rudolf, of Boston, Mass.; was born in Canada, July 20, 1891. He attended the Brookline High School, and graduated from M.I.T., S.B., 1915. He was president of the rifle club, M.I.T., and capt. of the rifle team. He spent a year experimenting in the laboratories of Thomas A. Edison, and later entered the ammunition plant of the Bartlett-Haywood Co., Baltimore, Md., as inventor and head of several departments of production. He enlisted on Aug. 7, 1917, in the Royal Flying Corps, and was ordered to Toronto, Can., where he trained at Long Branch, Ontario; at the University of Toronto; and at Camp Mohawk. In Nov., 1917, he was sent to Camp Everman, Tex., and then to Camp Hicks, where he was commissioned 2d Lieut., R.F.C., on Jan. 29, 1918. He was sent overseas in Feb., 1918, and completed his final training at Hooten Park, Cheshire, Eng., where he graduated with distinction as scout pilot and was commissioned 1st Lieut., R.A.F., April 1, 1918. After additional courses in aerial gunnery at Turnberry, and at Gulane, Scotland, he was ordered to France on Aug. 14, attached to the 41st Squadron, with the 2d Army, B.E.F. From then until the end of the war this scout squadron did patrol work around Ypres and as far south as Arras. The fighting was all well over the lines, and seldom below 12,000 feet, which made it difficult to determine the exact results. This Squadron succeeded in keeping the Germans on their own side, but paid heavily for it, as in three months the personnel changed three times. Lieut. Rudolf is credited with three Fokker biplanes out of control (confirmed). On one occasion he and two others were attacked by fifteen Fokkers that came down on them through the clouds. After losing his two companions, one of them being shot down in flames, Lieut. Rudolf fought his way back alone, and on landing found that there were fifty-seven bullet holes in his machine. On another occasion he was alone watching a flight of Bristol Fighters manoeuvring toward a flight of Fokkers. Two of the British machines collided, and one crashed. The other gained control near the ground with one wing badly damaged, but was (p. 88 )
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attacked by a German two-seater. To help him, Lieut. Rudolf was obliged to go down under the Fokker; he drove the German plane off and flew home ahead of the crippled Bristol, diving on the machine guns in his path. For this exploit he was mentioned by the second Brigade at the request of the 48th Squadron. At another time he was congratulated by the British 2d Army for his part in a duel which they observed from the front line. In the midst of the fight, Lieut. Rudolf shot off one blade of his own propeller. At the same time the German went into a spin. Rudolf was forced to stop his engine but followed him down 6000 feet, getting in bursts as he came out of his spin, and left his enemy out of control, himself landing safely just across his own lines on a narrow road among the shell craters east of Ypres. The principal work of Squadron 41 was to furnish offensive patrols and escorts for bombers, but on all patrols they dropped twenty-five pound bombs at railroads and bridges, besides doing some ground-strafing. On Aug. 27, at dawn, they dropped down on the Linselles aerodrome, some twelve miles over the lines, and flying low, bombed and shot up the hangars, leaving all in flames. On Sept. 28, during the great offensive in front of Ypres, they swept the roads in front of the advance, which took place in a driving rain storm. All the squadrons of the 11th Wing took part. Ten went out from the 41st Squadron, but only five of them returned. King Albert of Belgium was in personal command, and sent his congratulations to the aviators. On July 15, 1919, Lieut. Rudolf was placed on the unemployed list, R.A.F., retaining rank. (p. 88)

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