Lieutenant Chester Ellis Wright was an American World War I flying ace

Flying ace

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

 credited with nine confirmed aerial victories. He was the top scoring ace for his squadron.

Wright finished three years at Harvard before joining the U.S. Army Air Service in March 1917. He continued his education, but at MIT. Later in 1917, he was appointed adjutant

Adjutant

Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...

 to the 19th Aero Squadron. He transferred overseas in November. He completed his pilot's training and was assigned to ferry planes to France. On 29 July 1918, he was posted to the 93rd Aero Squadron. The new squadron began combat operations the following month with Wright serving as a Flight Commander. From 18 September through 23 October 1918, Wright shot down a German observation balloon, an unidentified enemy airplane, a Rumpler

Rumpler

The Rumpler Tropfenwagen was a car developed by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler.Rumpler, born in Vienna, was a designer of aircraft when on the 1921's Berlin car show he introduced the Tropfenwagen. It was to be the first streamlined car . The Rumpler had a Cw-value of only 0.28...

, and six Fokker D.VII

Fokker D.VII

The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...

s, including one shared with Leslie Rummell

Leslie Rummell

Lieutenant Leslie Jacob Rummell was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.Rummell joined the 93d Aero Squadron on 7 August 1918. He shot down his first Fokker D.VII on 12 September over Thiacourt. His triple win on the 29th, when he downed two more Fokker D.VIIs and shared a...

. In the process, he won two Distinguished Service Crosses.

Wright returned home in March 1919.

Honors and awards

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

For extraordinary heroism in action near Beffu, France, 10 October 1918. Lt. Wright attacked an enemy observation balloon protected by four enemy planes; despite numerical superiority, he forced the planes to withdraw and destroyed the enemy balloon.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Oak Leaf Cluster

For extraordinary heroism in action near Bantheville, France, 23 October 1918. Lt. Wright, accompanied by one other machine, took on and sent down in flames an enemy plane (Fokker type) that was attacking an Allied plane. He was in turn attacked by three enemy planes. His companion was forced to withdraw on account of motor trouble. Lt. Wright continued the combat and succeeded in bringing down one of the enemy planes and forced the remaining two into their own territory.

Reference

• American Aces of World War I. Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, 9781841763750.