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Some years ago, half-way through my research on RCAF honours and awards, I turned up about eight Second World War cases of the RCAF personnel who had been recommended for the VC and did NOT get it (one was downgraded to a DSO, several to Mentions in Despatches, at least one got nothing). *With limited time and tunnel vision in those years, I did not pursue this with respect to other nationalities, although I have since been provided with information by British contacts on one or two other Second World War cases where VCs were recommended and not awarded. *An article on the unsuccessful Canadian air VCs has been published in CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY, Autumn 1996 (copies available from the publisher, c/o Wilfred Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3C5 ($ 12.00 Canadian each). * Again, with respect to Canadians only, I know of one RCN and about eight army types who were recommended for the VC (Second World War) and did not get it; I do not have information on other nationalities so do not know how often this occured with respect to British, Australian, New Zealand. South African or Indian personnel.
When Carl Christie wrote his excellent study of Alan McLeod, VC, he publicised the fact that McLeod had originally been recommended for a Mention in Despatches which was subsequently upgraded to a VC.
First World War recommendations that failed ? Well, I have speculated that "Zeppellin" killing was gradually demoted from a VC exploit to a DSO deed to an MC/DSC/DFC accomplishment as the act itself increased in frequency (and why not ? *Zeppellins did not get any more deadly as the war progressed, whereas the technology to destroy them did - gradual downgrading of the award merely recognized this fact). *However, my musing were speculations based on observations - I had not (and still have not) seen a documented instance of a First World War aerial VC nomination that was downgraded to something lesser.
Were there aerial VC nominations that failed in the First World War ? *Almost certainly. *Barrett mentions McElroy; you must enlighten me her. **Is there surviving documentation for any ? *Likely. *How can we find out ? By somebody going through the surviving documents dealing with awards, part of AIR 1 records in the Public Record Office, systematically. *Any volunteers ?
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