Capt. William Lambert

Capt. William Lambert with his SE-5a named "Babe." (U.S. Air Force photo)

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Uniforms of Capt. William C. Lambert and Lt. Stephen W. Thompson

DAYTON, Ohio - (Left) British Royal Flying Corp cap, tunic, trousers and flying equipment worn by Capt. William C. Lambert during World War I. The bar decoration below the RFC wings on the tunic was the ribbon design for the original British Distinguished Flying Cross. (Right) Uniform items worn by Lt. Stephen W. Thompson on Feb. 5, 1918, when, while flying as an observer with the French, he became the first person in U.S. uniform to down an enemy airplane. (U.S. Air Force photo)

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Capt. William C. Lambert

Capt. William C. Lambert of Ironton, Ohio, was the second-ranking American ace of World War I. He was officially credited with 21 1/2 air-to-air victories, only 4 1/2 victories fewer than the 26 of top American ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Lambert joined the Royal Flying Corps in Canada in 1916 and arrived in Britain in December 1917. He was assigned to No. 24 Squadron of the Royal Air Force in France flying S.E.5A fighters. Lambert did not transfer to the U.S. Air Service after America entered the war, but remained with the RAF, although he retained his U.S. citizenship.

Following WWI, Lambert joined the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve and served with the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1954 as a lieutenant colonel.

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Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker

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Capt. William Lambert

Uniforms of Capt. William C. Lambert and Lt. Stephen W. Thompson