After passing the medical Draper joined the Royal Naval Air Service in January 1914 and was commissioned as a probationary sub-Lieutenant, RNR.įrom January to April 1914 he attended the fifth course at the Central Flying School. While trying to find a job flying, he learned from a cousin in the service that the Royal Navy was offering short service commissions to pilots with an Aviator's Certificate. On 6 October 1913, with a total of 3 hours 15 minutes of flying experience, he obtaining Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate #646. Hoult provided Draper with GBP 210 after making him promise not to tell anyone about the gift. Unable to afford the GBP 75 fee for pilot training, Draper wrote to his local MP, Sir Joseph Hoult, who was an acquaintance of his father. He became interested in flying in July 1909 when Louis Blériot flew across the English Channel. During his flying career he logged over 17,000 flying hours on 73 types of aircraft.Ĭhristopher Draper was born at Bebington, Cheshire in 1892, into a family of five sons and two daughters. His penchant for flying under bridges earned him the nickname 'the Mad Major.'Īfter the war he became a film star through his work both as a stunt pilot and as an actor.ĭuring the 1930s he worked for a time as a British secret agent, serving as a double agent to Nazi Germany. Squadron Commander Christoper Draper, DSC Croix de guerre (15 April 1892 – 16 January 1979), was an English flying ace of World War I.

Big screen commander christopher draper