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Ronald Adam was a man who uniquely blended a successful acting career with an extraordinary military journey, from being a victim of the Red Baron in World War One to exacting his revenge as an RAF fighter controller during the Battle of Britain. Born Ronald George Hinings Adams on December 31, 1896, he was educated at University College, London. At just 17, Adams volunteered for the British Army at the outbreak of the First World War. On December 2, 1914, he was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the 15th (reserve) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. He later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as an observer before training as a pilot. Adams served with No. 18 Squadron and flew Sopwith Camels with No. 44 Squadron on home defense missions. He then joined No. 73 Squadron, flying Sopwith Camels over France. On April 7, 1918, he was shot down near Villers-Brettoneux in northern France. Historians debate who downed Adams; some credit Lieutenant Hans Kirchstein, while many believe he was the 78th victim of the legendary Baron Manfred von Richthofen, known as "The Red Baron." Wounded and captured, Adams was visited the same evening by a German orderly bearing Von Richthofen's compliments. He spent eight months in hospitals and prison camps before being repatriated on December 17, 1918, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight.
After the war, Adams trained as a chartered accountant before moving into theatre management, overseeing the Embassy Theatre in London. He later pursued acting under the slightly modified name Ronald Adam. He also authored books, with several of his plays produced. From 1936, he began working in films. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ronald Adam rejoined the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, he served as the fighter controller for the Hornchurch sector. Despite the prowess of the RAF's Spitfires and Hurricanes, their effectiveness depended on timely interceptions of incoming German aircraft. Wing Commander Ronald Adam was responsible for coordinating RAF fighter command interceptions using data from radar and ground observers, then dispatching fighters to engage enemy planes. His role was crucial in one of history's decisive battles that shaped the future of Western civilization. After the war, Ronald Adam lived in Surbiton, Surrey, and passed away on March 28, 1979, at the age of 83.
