Medal of Honor: Ralph Talbot, World War I, October 8& 14, 1918

Name: Ralph Talbot
Rank: Second Lieutenant
War: World War I
Date of Action: October 8 & 14, 1918
Unit: Squadron C, 1st Marine Aviation Force
Appointed From: Connecticut
Born: January 6, 1897, South Weymouth, Massachusetts

Summary of Action
Lieutenant Ralph Talbot, one of the first Marine aviators to see combat in World War I, earned his place among the immortals of the Corps through unmatched gallantry in the skies. On October 8, 1918, during a bombing raid deep into enemy territory, Talbot’s formation was swarmed by nine German fighters. Outnumbered and alone, he turned his nimble DH-4 toward the enemy and shot one down in flames before escaping through heavy anti-aircraft fire.
Just six days later, on October 14 over Pittham, Belgium, fate tested him again. Mechanical trouble separated his plane and one other from their formation, leaving them vulnerable when twelve German scouts dived out of the clouds to attack. Talbot’s observer fought back, but a bullet shattered his arm, then struck him twice more—one round through the stomach, another through the hip. As his gun jammed, Talbot coolly maneuvered the aircraft, buying his observer precious seconds to clear the weapon with one hand. When his gunner collapsed, Talbot dove into the fight himself, downing another enemy aircraft with his forward guns.
With his observer unconscious and his own engine failing, he raced the dying plane toward Allied lines, skimming treetops and trenches at barely fifty feet. He landed near a hospital to save his wounded comrade’s life before returning to his airfield. His courage, composure, and unyielding devotion under impossible odds marked the high valor of the Marine airmen who helped secure victory in the skies of 1918.

Medal of Honor Citation
TALBOT, RALPH
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 6 January 1897, South Weymouth, Mass. Appointed from: Connecticut. Citation: For exceptionally meritorious service and extraordinary heroism while attached to Squadron C, 1st Marine Aviation Force, in France. 2d Lt. Talbot participated in numerous air raids into enemy territory. On 8 October 1918, while on such a raid, he was attacked by 9 enemy scouts, and in the fight that followed shot down an enemy plane. Also, on 14 October 1918, while on a raid over Pittham, Belgium, 2d Lt. Talbot and another plane became detached from the formation on account of motor trouble and were attacked by 12 enemy scouts. During the severe fight that followed, his plane shot down 1 of the enemy scouts. His observer was shot through the elbow and his gun jammed. 2d Lt. Talbot maneuvered to gain time for his observer to clear the jam with one hand, and then returned to the fight. The observer fought until shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the hip and then collapsed, 2d Lt. Talbot attacked the nearest enemy scout with his front guns and shot him down. With his observer unconscious and his motor failing, he dived to escape the balance of the enemy and crossed the German trenches at an altitude of 50 feet, landing at the nearest hospital to leave his observer, and then returning to his aerodrome.