Greatest number of decorations earnt by a single aircraft

To match Dave's scoring thread. Les Sutherland has Bristol Fighter B1229 of 1 Sqn AFC earning 17 decorations with pilots and observers in her seats during the feat.

Les writes; ".. 1229 which I believe earned more decaorations in the war than any other British machine - seventeen, I think it was. It could almost be said that she was like a seasoned charger - she only needed to scent a scrap to want to be in it, and once there, she did her part like a good soldier. Fighting was not her only warlike quality. She was big hearted too. Twice she landed to pick up officers of ours who had been forced, or shot down behind enemy lines. .... Many was the time she was wounded, but never would she leave the squadron..... She is in the Australian War Museum [!!!!]"

Incidentally B1229 was an often used mount of Ross Smith and part of C Flight. Joe Bull, whose diaries Mark Lax edited, was the rigger on B1229.

is there any aircraft who earnt a similar amount of decorations.



cam
http://members.xoom.com/PointCook/index.htm

[Ginger.]

Would have thought the immortal Sopwith Camel flown by William G Barker VC would be up there with the best.

Funny how we appoint living attributes to inanimate objects, isn't it? Those blokes equating their aircraft to horses!

Of course you wouldn't catch me anthropomorphising my pig-headed, contrary car that way.

[Richard_Schrader]

Cam;
Thanks for a great story, B1229 gets my vote!
Ginger;
The plane that Barker used in his "VC fight" was a Snipe. I believe that same airplane is on display in Canada somewhere.
Richard

Gordon,

>Those blokes equating their aircraft to horses!

lol it was a two way street it seemed, from Les again on Bristol Fighter C4623;

"I forgot another horsey comparison -- the jibber. .... Well the nearest equivalent, to my knowledge was 4623 (Australia No.20, NSW No.18 The McCaughey Battleplane) ... But for all her exalted origin, 4623 was a perverse devil. Rarely could a job be completed in her, and, what was worse, it seemed as if she flatly refused to face the enemy. As a matter of fact, he failings becamse so pronounced that the squadron took action. At least those pilots and observers who had been maltreated by 4623 did, they held a court martial on the culprit, and sentenced her to six months over the line. ..... As a matter of fact a big hearted pilot took compassion on the prisoner. A girl pal of his back in Australia had sent him a little gold goddess of luck. He presented it to 4623, the mechanics fitted lady luck on top of her radiator. "That," said the critics of 4623 " should fix the cowardly what-not". ... The next day, the second of her sentence, 4623 went out on reconnaissance. She had a good crew. Alf Poole was the pilot and Fred Hancock the observer. 4623 escaped. I means she did not serve through her sentence. She refused her duty under the plea of a conked engine. She was forced landed behind enemy lines. The crew were captured. .... Unanimously we decided that it was a good thing she had gone, never to return. Also that it was a mystery why the she-devil had not killed someone before she was washed out. Yet 4624, 4626 and 4627, all her sister planes, were excellent machines. They all earned decorations."

Of those three last mentioned machines, 4626 was Sutherlands Biff, 4627 was Paul's "Yellow Devil" Biff. C4624 scored one victory with 1 Sqn AFC on 15 Apr 1918 with Adair and Camm in it. C4623 though was actually the Biff of McGinness and Fysh and resposible for a number of victories.

Poole and Hancock were in A7202 on the 20th of January 1918 when their engine conked out and they were captured. Incidentally B1229 was with them but couldnt land due to the Turkish soldiers being to close to A7202.



cam
AFC - http://members.xoom.com/PointCook/index.ht...htm

Richard,

Ginger is talking about Barker's Camel which he scored 46 of his 50 victories in and earned most of his medals in..not including the VC. Being he is the most decorated Canadian in history his Camel would be "Up there". Unfortunately the bone heads DISMANTLED his CAMEL! (shades of the Avro-Arrow project!) At least they did keep the bullet ridden Snipe!

Great thread Cam! If i'm ever down under I GOT to see that Brisfit!

Pend,

>If i'm ever down under I GOT to see that Brisfit!

It isnt in the AWM now. Dont know where it went. Maybe beauricratic vandalism. Worse pictures seem to be rare for B1229. If they are around they dont appear to be published. I havent seen one yet of B1229 with the serial visible.




cam
http://members.xoom.com/PointCook/index.htm

G'day Cam,

I beleive the Brisfit was part of the great aviation bonfire of the late 1920's early 1930's.

The current management seem to mirror the small minds that ran the AWM back then. I hope all their chooks turn into emus and kick their dunnies down!!!!

Andrew.