About Alfred Edwin McKay
Captain Alfred Edwin "Eddie" McKay MC (27 December 1892 – 28 December 1917) was a Canadian flying ace who flew with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. == Civilian life == The son of William and Mary McKay, he was born on 27 December 1892 in Brussels, Ontario, Canada. He later moved to London, Ontario to enroll in a Faculty of Arts program at the University of Western Ontario. Once there, McKay excelled in varsity athletics. In particular, his speed was often cited by a student newspaper – The Western University Gazette – as a reason for the success of Western's 1915 Canadian Junior Championship rugby team. == Involvement in the First World War == Around March 1916, McKay completed his training at the Wright Aviation School in Augusta, Georgia, and shipped off to Europe as a member of the Royal Flying Corps. An editorial that appeared in The Western University Gazette in the same month, described Eddie was as a "careful" flyer who was one of the best pilots ever produced at Wright. He was assigned to 24 Squadron where he flew an Airco D.H.2 and recorded four victories between 20 July 1916 and 25 January 1917. For his efforts, McKay was promoted to captain and transferred to train new pilots. Later that year, he cited boredom when he requested to be moved back into a combat role.
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