Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
The son of William P. Cairnes of Stameen, Drogheda, William Jameson Cairnes was educated at Rugby and Cambridge. An infantry officer with the Leinster Regiment, he joined the Royal Flying Corps in Egypt and became a Flying Officer on 6 November 1916. He was promoted to Captain on 20 December 1916. After scoring 4 victories with 19 Squadron, Cairnes was appointed Flight Commander on 1 February 1918. In the spring of 1918, he scored 2 more victories with 74 Squadron before he was killed in action, NE of Estaires. His S.E.5 was shot down by Paul Billik of Jasta 52. Ira Jones witnessed the event and reported Cairnes' plane went down after losing a wing.
Victories
Date
Time
Unit
Aircraft
Opponent
Location
1
19 May 1917
0645
19
SPAD (B1565)
Albatros C (DES)
E of Croisilles
2
19 May 1917
0740
19
SPAD (B1565)
Albatros D.III (DES)
N of Vitry
3
07 Jun 1917
1320
19
SPAD
Albatros D.V (OOC)
Warneton
4
03 Jul 1917
0855-1040
19
SPAD (B1565)
C (OOC)1
5
21 Apr 1918
2000
74
S.E.5a
Albatros D.V (OOC)
Armentières
6
30 May 1918
1515
74
S.E.5a (C6443)
Albatros D.V (OOC)
Steenwerck
1
Shared with Capt Wilfred Young, Lt C D Thompson and Lt A R Boree
