 On 14 May 1915 , Eaton transferred to the Royal Flying Corps ( RFC ) , undergoing initial pilot training at Oxford . While he was landing his Maurice <unk> <unk> at the end of his first solo flight , another student collided with him and was killed , but Eaton emerged <unk> . He was commissioned in August and was awarded his wings in October . Ranked lieutenant , he served with No. 110 Squadron , which operated <unk> <unk> " Elephant " fighters out of <unk> , defending London against <unk> airships . <unk> to the newly formed Royal Air Force ( RAF ) in April 1918 , he was posted the following month to France flying <unk> <unk> single @-@ engined bombers with No. 206 Squadron . On 29 June , he was shot down behind enemy lines and captured in the vicinity of <unk> . <unk> in <unk> prisoner @-@ of @-@ war camp , Germany , Eaton escaped but was recaptured and court @-@ <unk> , after which he was kept in solitary confinement . He later effected another escape and succeeded in rejoining his squadron in the final days of the war . 
