6. Albert Ball
One of the highest scoring and most beloved aces of the United Kingdom, Albert Ball is a legend in the pages of history with 44 aerial victories. Ball had an inborn zeal to fight and had an urge to taste victory that pushed him to fight relentlessly during the war. He was first flying ace to become a British national hero and even the Red Baron spoke of him as the best English flyer.
Ball was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 after being enlisted in the army the previous year. At the age of 18, Ball would single-handedly combat and defeat German aircraft from below even if they outnumbered him. He spent time on the home front as an instructional pilot but grew tired of the inaction and became flight commander of the No. 56 Squadron RFC.
Like other air aces, his death also remains a mystery. While some accounts that his death was caused by an injured in an aerial fight which caused him to crash, some believe that he suffered vertigo and crashed. The Germans tried to claim that he was shot down by the Red Baron. He was 20 when he met his demise. His death caused national mourning and the British government awarded him the Victoria Cross, posthumously.