Flt Lt David Lord VC

Flight Lieutenant David Lord, an Irish-born Dakota pilot with 271 Squadron, was awarded the VC for his bravery on the afternoon of Tuesday 19th September 1944 while flying his aircraft, which had been detailed to drop supplies to the first Airborne Division at Arnhem. I am attempting to find details of all Oxfordshire VC winners, but I am unsure if 271 Squadron was flying from RAF Broadwell when the VC was won - can anyone elaborate?

 

271 Sqn flew out of Down Ampney RAF Down Ampney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

It also flew out of RAF Broadwell, but I am unsure when the change was made (probably 1945).

 

Looking at this link it shows 512 and 575 Sqn active in ops during Arnhem flying from Broadwell so I would go with Down Ampney. RAF Broadwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

All Oxfordshire VC's Graves are listed here:

OXFORDSHIRE

 

No.271 Squadron went to Down Ampney on 29 February 1944 with attachments at Doncaster, Blakehill Farm, Northolt and Croydon.

To Odiham 10 August 1945.

To Broadwell 5 October 1945.

 

HI Stanley,

This might be of help to you as well here you go...

Cheers
Tom

 

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Don't forget to check the forum - You may find some information on WW2 VC's on here

 

19 September 1944

271 Squadron

Dakota III KG374. Crashed North of Wolfheze

Fatalities.

F/L. David Samuel Anthony Lord VC DFC.
F/O. Richard Edward Hastings Medhurst.
F/O. Alexander Forbes Ballantyne.
Cpl. Philip Edward Nixon.
Driver. Leonard Sidney Harper.
Driver. James Ricketts.
Driver. Arthur Rowbotham.

 

Thank you to all those who have responded. It looks like his last mission was from Down Ampney - the squadron move to Broadwall having taken place in the following year.

 

Hi Stanley,

As you will know 'Lummie' Lord flew Air supply in Burma before heading back to Europe. He probably supplied my Grandfather at some point in 1943?

The link below is a famous Chindit 1 story, but a little known fact was that Lord refused to land on the jungle clearing mentioned in the piece, as he thought there was insufficient runway. Cannot really blame him to be honest.

XBritish Raid Burma - LIFE - June 28, 1943

Bamboo.

 

And of course Flight Lieutenant Jimmy Edwards won his DFC when flying with 271 Squadron - but that is another story!

 

Flight Lieutenant David Lord, an Irish-born Dakota pilot with 271 Squadron, was awarded the VC for his bravery on the afternoon of Tuesday 19th September 1944 while flying his aircraft, which had been detailed to drop supplies to the first Airborne Division at Arnhem. I am attempting to find details of all Oxfordshire VC winners, but I am unsure if 271 Squadron was flying from RAF Broadwell when the VC was won - can anyone elaborate?
He was born in Cork (City?County?) and there appears to be 5 VC holders buried in that same county: http://www2.prestel.co.uk/stewart/cocork.htm.

Bucklt

 

He was born in Cork (City?County?) and there appears to be 5 VC holders buried in that same county: CO CORK.

Bucklt

Quite apart from those buried in Co Cork, the County must have been associated with many more than five holders of the Victoria Cross - I would suggest that there are between three and four times that number.

 

I have just finished reading a book on David Lord's short life and RAF career: Flight Lieutenant David Lord Victoria Cross, by James Hynes.

From this I can add to this thread that, Pilot Officer Harry King was the only survivor from the stricken Dakota, having been thrown out of the plane at 500ft and able to open his parachute. He had just before helped the other crew (apart from David Lord) don their parachutes, when the starboard fuel tank exploded throwing him out of the plane, but killing everyone else.

Harry King spent a short time fighting with the 10th Royal Sussex Parachute Batalion on the ground, before being taken prisoner. He was liberated in May 1945.

 

A small correction, but that would be the 10th Parachute Battalion. There was no Royal Sussex designation, although many of the men had transferred from that Regiment on the formation of the battalion - for fuller details see Desert Rise Arnhem Descent.

 

Here's the crash site near Reijers-Camp Farm in Wolfheze, his medals as they were recently displayed at the Hartenstein in Oosterbeek and the grave from last month.

 

Thanks Pompey Pal,

My post required a double correction as I have spelled Battalion with only one L.

 

Fabulous images, thanks Jonathan. I might do a short write about him now for my website.