Flight Lieutenant David Lord VC RAF

David Lord was the son of a Warrant Officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers; he was born in Cork, Ireland in 1913 when his father was stationed there. Later his family oved to Wrexham. He and his brother Frank joined the RAF as Airmen on 6th August 1936, in David's case after abandoning clerical training to become a priest. He applied to commence flying training as a pilot after reaching the rank of Corporal in August 1938. He started his flying training in October 1938, being promoted Sergeant in April 1939 on completion of his flying training. 

He was posted to No 31 Sqn RAF based in Lahore in India and equipped with Vicker Valentia transport biplanes.  In 1941, No. 31 Squadron was the first unit to receive the Douglas DC-2, later followed by both the Douglas DC-3 and CH47 Dakota transports. Also in 1941 he was he was promoted to Flight Sergeant and then Warrant Officer. He flew in North Africa, supporting troops in Libya and Egypt. Whilst in North Africa he was shot down by a flight of three Messerschmitt Me109’s and was awarded the DFC for his actions. 

He was posted back to India after 4 months in North Africa, where he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in May 1942.  He flew supply missions on the very dangerous 'hump', the India-Burma-China supply route, dropping supplies to the 'Forgotten' 14th Army in the jungle behind Japanese lines, for which he was mentioned in despatches.

In July 1943, Lord was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received his award at Buckingham Palace. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant shortly afterwards. By January 1944, he had joined No. 271 Squadron based at RAF Down Ampney, in Gloucestershire where he commenced training as part of preparations for the invasion of Europe. On 6th June 1944, D-Day, Lord dropped paratroopers in France, his aircraft was hit by flak, but he returned safely to his base despite having no flaps. 

On 19 September 1944 Flt Lt Lord was flying Dakota III transport aircraft serial KG374 with 271 Sqn RAF, dropping vital supplies to the beleaguered paratroopers at Arnhem, when his aircraft was hit twice and an engine caught fire.

On discovering that there were still two supply containers that had failed to drop, and fully knowing that the fire could cause his wing to collapse at any moment, he elected to carry out a second run to drop the supplies, then order his crew to bail out whilst he remained at the control and kept the aircraft steady to give his crew the best chance of a safe exit form the burning airplane. A few seconds later the aircraft crashed in flames, only the navigator Flying Officer Harold King surviving to tell the tale.

It was only on the later release of Fg Off King and several paratrooper prisoners of war, from 10 Para, that David Lord's actions became known to the authorities and the process was initiated to award Flt Lt Lord a posthumous VC. Flt Lt Lord's parents received his VC posthumously at Buckingham Palace in December 1945.

Part of Flight Lieutenant Lord's VC Citation read:

"By continuing his mission in a damaged and burning aircraft, descending to drop the supplies accurately, returning to the dropping zone a second time and, finally, remaining at the controls to give his crew a chance of escape, Flight Lieutenant Lord displayed supreme valour and self-sacrifice."

Flt Lt Lord's medal awards:

VC; DFC (1943); India General Service Medal 1936-39 with clasp North West Frontier 1937-39; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45 with MiD

RIP Flt Lt Lord VC DFC 

Author's note: The uncommon combination of awards of a Victoria Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Mention in Dispatches and *King's Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air all point to a highly courageous officer whose loss would have been very deeply felt. 

Flying Officer Henry A. King (Navigator): Survived by being thrown clear, became a prisoner of war (POW). Fg Off King's reports contributed greatly to the award of the VC to Flt Lt Lord.

Flying Officer Richard Medhurst (Co-pilot): Killed.

Flying Officer Alexander Ballantyne (Wireless Operator): Killed.

Corporal Phil Nixon (RASC*Air Despatcher): Killed.

Driver James Ricketts (RASC Air Despatcher): Killed.

Driver Leonard Harper (RASC Air Despatcher): Killed.

Driver Arthur Rowbotham (RASC Air Despatcher): Killed. 

*RASC - Royal Army Service Corps. 

Flt Lt Lord and the five crew members killed in the crash were initially buried near the crash site at Reijerskamp Farm, Wolfheze, before being reinterred at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.