Dallas joined the Australian army in 1913. When war broke out, he applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps but was rejected. Instead, he joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915. Flying Nieuport Scouts, Sopwith Triplanes and Sopwith Camels, Dallas scored 23 victories before he assumed command of 40 Squadron on 1 April 1918. Two weeks later, he was wounded while strafing enemy troop positions but continued flying combat missions. With the S.E.5a, he scored 9 more victories before he encountered three members of Jasta 14 and was killed in action, shot down by Johannes Werner in a Fokker DR.I.
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) Bar
Flt.-Cdr. Roderic Stanley Dallas, D.S.C., R.N.A.S.
In recognition of his services on the 23rd April, 1917, when with two other machines he engaged a formation of nine-hostile scouts and two-seater machines. Two two-seater machines were shot down, one of them by Flt.-Cdr. Dallas unassisted.
(The award of the Distinguished Service Cross was announced in the London Gazette of 6th September, 1916.)
Supplement to the London Gazette, 22 June 1917 (30147/6256)
