Flight Lieutenant James Anderson Slater (27 November 1896 – 26 November 1925) was a British First World War flying ace, credited with 24 aerial victories. He served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an instructor after the war until killed in a flying accident.

World War I service

Slater was born in Worthing, West Sussex on 29 November 1896. He was studying at a Seminary in August 1914 when the First World War broke out, with Slater quickly enlisting in the British Army's Royal Sussex Regiment as a private. He was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on 29 September, briefly serving with the Royal Irish Rifles (where his father served with the rank of Major) before re-joining the Sussexes. In 1915 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and served in France with No. 18 Squadron RFC as an observer on the squadron's Vickers FB.5s from November 1915 to March 1916. He then trained as a pilot, and on 30 June 1916 was appointed a flying officer. Slater was posted to No. 1 Squadron RFC in August 1916, to fly the Nieuport 17 single-seat fighter, and gained his first two aerial victories in February and March 1917. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 April 1917. In May he returned to England to serve as an instructor until 27 July 1917, when he was appointed a flight commander with the acting-rank of captain in the newly formed No. 64 Squadron RFC. The squadron was based at Sedgeford, Norfolk, where Slater was reported to have "beat up Hunstanton at 8 a.m. on Sunday mornings, buzzing his girlfriend's house at chimney pot height", and to have been in the habit of flying his aircraft through the aerodrome's hangars. Slater's squadron moved to France in October 1917, where on 30 November he shot down the squadron's first enemy aircraft, flying an Airco DH.5 fighter. On 4 February 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross, for several successful ground attack missions. His citation read: The squadron was then re-equipped with the S.E.5a fighter, in which Slater achieved the majority of his victories, being credited with 20 enemy aircraft shot down between 8 March and 31 May 1918. Slater received a bar to his Military Cross, gazetted on 21 June 1918. His citation read: He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 28 June 1918 "in recognition of acts of gallantry and distinguished service". His citation read: Slater returned to the Home Establishment in England in July 1918, to serve as an instructor until the end of the war. His final tally consisted of eleven enemy aircraft destroyed (one shared), and nine driven down "out of control" (three shared).

List of aerial victories

Post-war career

On 1 August 1919 Slater was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of flight lieutenant. He served as an instructor at No. 5 Flying Training School (Inland Area) at RAF Shotwick until transferred to No. 4 Flying Training School (Middle East Area) at Abu Sueir, Egypt, on 8 March 1922, finally returning to Home Establishment on 18 October 1924, and being posted to the RAF Depot (Non-effective Pool). On 1 April 1925 Slater was posted to No. 3 Squadron, based at RAF Upavon, home of the Central Flying School. On 26 November 1925 Slater and Pilot Officer W. J. R. Early were killed in a flying accident, when their dual control Sopwith Snipe trainer crashed at nearby Pewsey, soon after take-off. Both men are buried in the churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, Upavon.