Flying ace after he became the first pilot to down five German aircraft. The British initially used the term "star-turns" (a show business term), while the Germans described their elite fighter pilots as "Überkanonen" (which roughly translates to "top guns"). The successes of such German ace pilots as Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke were much publicised for the benefit of civilian morale, and the "Pour le Mérite", Prussia’s highest award for gallantry, became part of the uniform of a leading German ace. In the "Luftstreitkräfte" the "Pour le Mérite" was nicknamed "Der blaue Max"/The Blue Max, after Max Immelmann, who was the
David Thwaites (flying ace) David Thwaites (flying ace) David Franklin Thwaites (September 8, 1921 – December 15, 2015) was a fighter pilot and flying ace of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He became an ace piloting the P-47 Thunderbolt as a member of the 361st Fighter Squadron of the 356th Fighter Group. Thwaites, based out of RAF Martlesham Heath in England, was the second highest scoring pilot in his squadron with six confirmed victories, and the only pilot of the 356th FG to score all of his victories while serving with the group. He scored his victories using three