Portal:Biography/Selected biography military/8
Roderic Stanley (Stan) Dallas, DSO, DSC & Bar (30 July 1891 – 1 June 1918), was an Australian fighter ace of World War I. His score of aerial victories is generally regarded as the second-highest by an Australian, after Robert Little; however there is considerable dispute over Dallas's exact total. While his official score is commonly given as 39, claim-by-claim analyses list as few as 32, and other research credits him with over 50, compared to Little's official tally of 47. Like Little, Dallas flew with British units, rather than the Australian Flying Corps. Initially seeing action with No. 1 Naval Wing on the Western Front in Caudrons and Nieuport 11s, he was chosen to test one of the earliest Sopwith Triplanes. This became his favourite type, and he achieved many victories with it through 1916–17, earning the Distinguished Service Order, and the Distinguished Service Cross and Bar. As the commanding officer of No. 1 Squadron RNAS and later No. 40 Squadron, he achieved further victories before being killed in action on 1 June 1918.