John Candy

Who was John Candy?

Lieutenant John Geoffrey Sadler Candy MC was a World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories. He served in the Royal Air Force through 1946.

Candy was assigned to 19 Squadron to fly a SPAD. He began his scoring streak on 26 August 1917; in cooperation with Alexander Pentland and three other pilots, he destroyed a DFW reconnaissance airplane over Moorseele. On 30 September, he once again had help in driving down a German two-seater down out of control; on that occasion, he had help from Richard Alexander Hewat, Frederick Sowrey, and two other pilots. On 9 October, he teamed with Sowrey and Hewat to drive down an Albatros recon plane. After another shared win on 11 November 1917, two days later, he cooperated with Albert Desbrisay Carter in the destruction of an Albatros D.V. His sixth win, on 29 December 1917, was a solo one, when he drove down another D.V.

Candy continued in the Royal Air Force after war's end, becoming a squadron leader in 1928. He retired on 12 September 1937, only to be recalled to duty on 25 August 1939. He finally retired for good on 26 January 1946.

Candy died near Littlehampton, Sussex, England on 11 May 1955.