|
Steve
Put politely, the account of Jerrard's action is at variance with Austro-Hungarian sources. The RFC pilots claimed six enemy aircraft as crashed but the Austrians suffered only one machine damaged and one pilot wounded.
McLeod received his VC at Buckingham Palace on 4 September 1918 and returned to Canada to continue his recuperation. Unfortunately he fell prey to Spanish Influenza and died on 6 November 1918.
And how about Freddie West:
Air Ministry,
8th November, 1918.
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to Lieut. (actg. Capt.) Ferdinand Maurice Felix West, M.C., Royal Air Force (formerly of the Special Reserve, Royal Munster Fusiliers), in recognition of his outstanding bravery in aerial combat.
Captain West, while engaging hostile troops at a low altitude far over the enemy lines, was attacked by seven aircraft. Early in the engagement one of his legs was partially severed by an explosive bullet, and fell powerless into the controls, rendering the machine for the time unmanageable. Lifting his disabled leg, he regained control of the machine, and, although wounded in the other leg, he, with surpassing bravery and devotion to duty, manoeuvred his machine so skilfully that his observer was enabled to get several good bursts into the enemy machines, which drove them away. Captain West then, with rare courage, and determination, desperately wounded as he was, brought his machine over our lines and landed safely. Exhausted by his exertions, he fainted, but on regaining consciousness insisted on writing his report.
(The award of the Military Cross was gazetted on 26th July, 1918.)
Air Commodore West VC CBE MC died on 8 July 1988, aged 92.
Graeme
|