Wilbert E. Kinsley

The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Wilbert E. Kinsley, Second Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action east of Cunel, Verdun sector, France, October 7, 1918. While staking the advanced lines of the 18th Division he was attacked by eight enemy machines (Fokker type), who dived out of a near-by cloud bank. Although attacked simultaneously by the enemy planes, he placed his airplane in such position that is observer, Second Lieutenant William O. Lord, was able to shoot down and crush one enemy plane and disable a second so badly that it was forced to land a few kilometers inside the German lines. Later on the same mission, he was again attacked by a patrol of five enemy scout machines and in a running fight he drove these off and successfully completed his mission.