Gallantry in Action: Airmen Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Two Bars 1918—1955
Jul 2019 · Casemate Publishers
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192
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About this ebook
A who’s who of the British airmen honored for their valor and courage—from the RAF’s inception to the post-WWII era—arranged alphabetically.
When the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged on 1 April 1918, to form the Royal Air Force, the new command needed to have its own gallantry medals to distinguish itself from the Army and the Royal Navy. Thus the new Distinguished Flying Cross came into being.
By the end of WWI, only three Second Bars had been promulgated for First War actions. Before WWII erupted, four more Second Bars had been awarded, and fifty were added to this total by the conflict’s end. Three more were awarded post-WWII, between 1952–1955, making a grand total of sixty. Still a significantly small number of members of this pretty exclusive “club.”
Within the covers of this book recorded for the first time together are the mini-biographies of all those sixty along with the citations that accompanied their awards, or in some cases the recommendations for them. Also recorded are citations for other decorations such as the Distinguished Service Order, et al.
As the reader will discover, the range of airmen who received the DFC and Two Bars, cover most of the ambit of WWII operations, be they fighter pilots, bomber pilots, night-fighter aircrew, aircrew navigators, engineers, etc., or reconnaissance pilots. Each has interesting stories, proving, if proof be needed, their gallantry in action.
When the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged on 1 April 1918, to form the Royal Air Force, the new command needed to have its own gallantry medals to distinguish itself from the Army and the Royal Navy. Thus the new Distinguished Flying Cross came into being.
By the end of WWI, only three Second Bars had been promulgated for First War actions. Before WWII erupted, four more Second Bars had been awarded, and fifty were added to this total by the conflict’s end. Three more were awarded post-WWII, between 1952–1955, making a grand total of sixty. Still a significantly small number of members of this pretty exclusive “club.”
Within the covers of this book recorded for the first time together are the mini-biographies of all those sixty along with the citations that accompanied their awards, or in some cases the recommendations for them. Also recorded are citations for other decorations such as the Distinguished Service Order, et al.
As the reader will discover, the range of airmen who received the DFC and Two Bars, cover most of the ambit of WWII operations, be they fighter pilots, bomber pilots, night-fighter aircrew, aircrew navigators, engineers, etc., or reconnaissance pilots. Each has interesting stories, proving, if proof be needed, their gallantry in action.
About the author
Norman Franks is a respected historian and author. Previous titles for Pen and Sword include InThe Footsteps of the Red Baron (co-authored with Mike OConnor), The Fighting Cocks, RAF Fighter Pilots Over Burma, Dogfight, The Fallen Few of the Battle of Britain (with Nigel McCrery) and Dowdings Eagles. Over the course of his career, Frank has published some of the most compelling works on First World War fighter aviation, being one of the worlds leading authorities on the subject. He lives in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex.
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