A Trophy of the First World War in the Air: Captain William Wendell Rogers and his Victory over a German Gotha Bomber, 12 December 1917

Authors

James Whitham, Canadian War Museum

Abstract

On 12 December 1917, Captain Wendell Rogers, a Canadian pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, was leading a patrol near Ypres, Belgium when his flight intercepted a group of German bombers. In the ensuing combat Rogers shot down a giant Gotha bomber, the first time such an aircraft had been brought down over continental Europe. A piece of that bomber was recovered and was recently acquired by the Canadian War Museum. The artifact, a fabric Iron Cross salvaged from the wing of the downed Gotha, was donated by Captain Rogers’ son Lloyd. The following article will trace how this object came to reside at the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Recommended Citation

Whitham, James "A Trophy of the First World War in the Air: Captain William Wendell Rogers and his Victory over a German Gotha Bomber, 12 December 1917." Canadian Military History 15, 1 (2006)