Air Commodore Ferdinand West VC CBE MC (deceased)

Air Commodore Ferdinand West - known as Freddie - was born in London on 29th January 1896. Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, he served in France in the Somme area throughout 1915. Early ion 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. After training he was posted to No.3 Sqn equipped with Morane Parasols in France and flew about 300 hours as an observer. In October 1917 he returned to England for training as a pilot and in January 1918 as posted to No.8 Sqn equipped with Armstrong Whitwoth FK8. On 27th May 1918, Freddie West and John Haslam, his observer, were awarded the Military Cross for acts of gallantry over the German lines.

On 8th August 1918, Sir John Salmond, then in charge of the Air Force in France, visited the squadron. He said there was only one thing the Army wanted from him and that he wanted from the Squadrons the Army needed to know where the German reserves were. When the Allies attacked, the German reserves would be thrown in and the Army commander needed to know where they would be coming from. The Allied counter offensive saw No.8 Squadron heavily committed on reconnaissance and attacking German troops; West and Haslam were shot down on 10th August but returned to duty. On 11th August they set out again in Armstrong Whitworth FK8 C8602 (some sources say C8594) from Vignacourt, north of Amiens. This is Freddie West's account of what happened :

Some people seem to think I got the VC because I lost my leg. That's rubbish. I gained the VC because I was lucky - I was in the right place at the right time and I survived.

We took off, knowing exactly what was needed - we were all searching for those German reserves. The shelling was incredible - I' never seen anything like it - and there were hundreds of Army Co-operative and fighter aircraft looking. I came across an area where there was a lot of firing at us. I said to Haslam in the back 'There's something down there' so we went and had a look. There were troops and guns and vehicles in all directions. They knew we had seen them and we were jumped by German fighters. I got shot up, but I remembered the danger of losing blood from a leg wound, so I screwed the leg of my trousers up tight. I managed to get back and tell them what we had seen. The Army were delighted and John Salmond was so pleased the Air Force had provided the information that he put me in for the VC. That's all there is to it... I was just lucky.

Of course there is more to this story than that. A gap in the clouds had revealed a concentration of German troops and he dived low to assess their numbers. Under heavy fire he returned to the clouds, but dived again because he was not satisfied he had the enemy positions correctly. This time he was attacked by several German aircraft and wounded. He still flew low over the enemy and then turned for home, but ran straight into the path of at least 5 more German scouts. West received five bullets in his left leg, one of which severed an artery. Half fainting, he managed to twist and avoid the German aircraft. Using the leg of his shorts as a makeshift tourniquet and occasionally lapsing into semi-consciousness, West managed to land behind the Allied lines, where he was lifted out of his aircraft by Canadian troops. Despite intense pain, West insisted that a No.8 Sqn officer be called so that he could pass on his information about German concentration. After he had done so, he lapsed into unconsciousness.

On 8th November 1918 he was awarded the Victoria Cross for unparalleled pluck and endurance. The valour displayed by this officer has throughout been a magnificent example to his flight, which he has inspired with his devotion, courage and power of endurance.

In 1919, having been fitted with an artificial limb, he asked Trenchard if he could remain in the RAF as he was anxious to resume flying. Through Trenchard he gained a permanent commission and resumed his flying career. He commanded No.4 Sqn and later was Station Commander of RAF Odiham. In 1939 he became the first CO of No.50 Army Co-operation Wing and flew to France in September. In December he was seriously ill and invalided home. In 1940 he was posted to Rome as Air Attache and the to Berne, remaining there until the end of the war. He died on 8th July 1988.

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