Daly was born in
Trieste, then a part of
Austria-Hungary, to British parents Charles V. and Kate A. Daly. He was granted the Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate No. 4450 at Royal Naval Air Station
Chingford on 8 February 1917, On 7 July 1917 the Germans launched a daylight air raid against London. Twenty-two Gotha
heavy bombers dropped bombs over the City and the East End, killing 57 people and injuring 193. The British flew 100
sorties in response, losing two fighters. Daly, flying a
Sopwith Triplane in a RNAS Home Defence squadron, shot down a
Gotha G.III fifteen miles off
Ostend, gaining his first aerial victory. and in August was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation read: ;Distinguished Service Cross :Flight Sub-Lieutenant Rowan Heywood Daly, RNAS. :For skill and gallantry in attacking enemy aircraft returning from a raid on England. After a long chase he engaged and brought down one machine in flames. Afterwards he engaged a second machine, but his gun jammed, and though he continued the pursuit to the enemy coast, he failed to clear the jam, and was obliged to return to his aerodrome. Daly was then assigned to
No. 10 Naval Squadron, flying the
Sopwith Camel, gaining two more victories over
Houthulst, Belgium, on 24 and 26 September, being wounded during the latter. In December 1917 he was promoted to flight lieutenant. Daly was promoted to captain, and confirmed his rank on 21 January 1919. He served with
47 Squadron in South Russia from early 1919 to March 1920, taking part in operations supporting the
White Army against the
Red Army in the
Russian Civil War, gaining four more victories in April and May 1919. He was awarded the
Order of St. Vladimir (4th class) and the
Cross of St. George (4th class) by the Russians, Daly was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force on 4 August 1920 with the rank of
flying officer. In 1922 he was serving with
No. 100 Squadron based at
RAF Spittlegate, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, and took part in the third RAF Aerial Pageant at
Hendon Aerodrome in June, winning the Landing Competition – landing in a defined area square after stopping the engine at an altitude of . On 14 May 1923 Daly was transferred to
39 Squadron, also based at Spittlegate. On 5 June 1924 he was flying a
DH.9A over the airfield when he was involved in a mid-air collision with another DH.9A of the squadron. Daly, his observer, and the crew of the other aircraft were killed. ==References==