Frank Hubert McNamara
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal Francis Hubert (Frank) McNamara VC
, CB
, CBE
(4 April 1894 – 2 November 1961) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British
and Commonwealth
forces. Serving with the Australian Flying Corps, he was honoured for his actions on 20 March 1917, when he rescued a fellow pilot who had been forced down behind enemy lines. McNamara was the first Australian aviator—and the only one in World War I
—to receive the Victoria Cross. He later became a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF).
Born and educated in Victoria
, McNamara was a teacher when he joined the militia
prior to World War I. In 1915, he was selected for pilot training at Central Flying School
, Point Cook, and transferred to the Australian Flying Corps the following year. He was based in the Middle East
with No. 1 Squadron
when he earned the Victoria Cross. In 1921, McNamara enlisted as a Flying Officer
in the newly formed RAAF, rising to the rank of Air Vice Marshal by 1942. He held senior posts in England and Aden
during World War II
. Retiring from the Air Force in 1946, McNamara continued to live in Britain until his death from heart failure in 1961.
, McNamara was the first of eight children to William Francis McNamara, a State Lands Department officer, and his wife Rosanna. He began his schooling in Rushworth, and completed his secondary education at Shepparton Agricultural High School
, which he had entered via a scholarship
. The family moved to Melbourne
in 1910.
McNamara joined the school cadets
in 1911, and was commissioned
a Second Lieutenant
in the 49th Battalion (Brighton Rifles), a militia unit, in July 1913. He became a teacher after graduating from Melbourne Teachers' Training College in 1914, and taught at various schools in Victoria. He also enrolled in the University of Melbourne
, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I
.
and Point Nepean
, Victoria, McNamara passed through Officers Training School at Broadmeadows
in December. He began instructing at the Australian Imperial Force
Training Depot, Broadmeadows, in February 1915. Promoted to Lieutenant
in July, he immediately volunteered for a military aeronautics course at Central Flying School
, Point Cook.
Selected for flying training at Point Cook in August 1915, McNamara made his first solo flight in a Bristol Boxkite
on 18 September, and graduated as a pilot in October. On 6 January 1916, he was assigned as adjutant
to No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
(also known until 1918 as No. 67 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
). In March, McNamara departed Melbourne for Egypt aboard HMAT Orsova, arriving in Suez
the following month. He was seconded to No. 42 Squadron RFC
in May to attend Central Flying School
at Upavon
, England; his secondment to the RFC was gazetted
on 5 July 1916.
Completing his course at Upavon, McNamara was posted back to Egypt in August, but was hospitalised on 8 September with orchitis
. Discharged on 6 October, he served briefly as a flying instructor
with No. 22 Squadron RFC
, before returning to No. 1 Squadron. McNamara flew with C Flight, commanded by Captain (later Air Marshal
Sir) Richard Williams. On his first sortie
, a reconnaissance
mission over Sinai
, McNamara was unaware that his plane had been hit by anti-aircraft fire
; he returned to base with his engine's oil supply almost exhausted. Flying B.E.2s and Martinsyde
s, he undertook further scouting and bombing missions in the ensuing months.
On 20 March 1917, McNamara, flying a Martinsyde, was one of four No. 1 Squadron pilots taking part in a raid against a Turkish railway junction near Gaza
. Owing to a shortage of bombs, the aircraft were each armed with six specially modified 4.5-inch howitzer
shells. McNamara had successfully dropped three of his shells when the fourth exploded prematurely, badly wounded him in the leg with shrapnel, an effect he likened to being "hit with a sledgehammer". Having turned to head back to base, he spotted a fellow squadron member from the same mission, Captain David Rutherford, on the ground beside his crashlanded B.E.2. Allied airmen had been hacked to death by enemy troops in similar situations, and McNamara saw that a company of Turkish cavalry was fast approaching Rutherford's position. Despite the rough terrain and the gash in his leg, McNamara landed near Rutherford in an attempt to rescue him.
As there was no spare cockpit in the single-seat Martinsyde, the downed pilot jumped on to McNamara's wing and held the struts. McNamara crashed while attempting to take off, however, due to the effects of his leg wound and Rutherford's weight overbalancing the aircraft. The two men, who had escaped further injury in the accident, set fire to the Martinsyde and dashed back to Rutherford's B.E.2. Rutherford repaired the engine while McNamara used his revolver
against the attacking cavalry, who had opened fire on them. Two other No. 1 Squadron pilots overhead, Lieutenant (later Air Marshal Sir) Roy "Peter" Drummond
and Lieutenant Alfred Ellis, also began strafing the enemy troops. McNamara managed to start the B.E.2's engine and take off, with Rutherford in the observer's cockpit. In severe pain and close to blacking out from loss of blood, McNamara flew the damaged aircraft 70 miles (112.7 km) back to base at El Arish.
Having effected what was described in the Australian official history of the war as "a brilliant escape in the very nick of time and under hot fire", McNamara "could only emit exhausted expletives" before he lost consciousness shortly after landing. Evacuated to hospital, he almost died following an allergic reaction to a routine tetanus
injection. McNamara had to be given artificial respiration
and stimulant
s to keep him alive, but recovered quickly. A contemporary news report declared that he was "soon sitting up, eating chicken and drinking champagne". On 26 March, McNamara was recommended for the Victoria Cross
by Brigadier General
Geoffrey Salmond
, General Officer Commanding
the Middle East Brigade, RFC. Drummond, Ellis, and Rutherford all wrote statements on 3–4 April attesting to their comrade's actions, Rutherford declaring that "the risk of Lieut. MacNamara being killed or captured was so great that even had he not been wounded he would have been justified in not attempting my rescue – the fact of his already being wounded makes his action one of outstanding gallantry – his determination and resource and utter disregard of danger throughout the operation was worthy of the highest praise". The first and only VC won by an Australian airman in World War I, McNamara's award was promulgated in the London Gazette
on 8 June 1917:
Promoted to Captain on 10 April 1917, McNamara became a flight commander
in No. 4 Squadron AFC
(also known until 1918 as No. 71 Squadron RFC), but was unable to continue flying due to the leg wound he suffered on 20 March. He was invalided back to Australia in August aboard HT Boorara, and given a hero's welcome on arrival in Melbourne. Found to be medically unfit for active service, McNamara was discharged from the Australian Flying Corps on 31 January 1918. However, panic caused by the intrusion into Australian waters of the German raider Wolf
resulted in him being recalled to the AFC and put in charge of an aerial reconnaissance unit based in South Gippsland
, Victoria, flying an F.E.2B
and later a Maurice Farman Shorthorn
. In September 1918, he was posted as a flying instructor to Point Cook, where he saw out the remainder of the war.
Following the disbandment of the AFC, McNamara transferred to the Australian Air Corps in April 1920. He was invested
with his Victoria Cross by the Prince of Wales
at Government House, Melbourne
, on 26 May. McNamara enlisted in the newly established Royal Australian Air Force
in 1921. Ranked Flying Officer
(honorary Flight Lieutenant
), he was one of the original twenty-one officers on the Air Force's strength at its formation that March. Initially posted to RAAF Headquarters in Melbourne as Staff Officer Operations and Intelligence, McNamara was given command of No. 1 Flying Training School
(1FTS) at Point Cook in July 1922. He was promoted Squadron Leader
in March 1924 and the following month married Hélène Bluntschli, a Belgian
national he had met in Cairo
during the war, at St Patrick's Cathedral
; his best man was fellow officer Frank Lukis
.
McNamara travelled to England in 1925 for two years exchange with the Royal Air Force
, serving at No. 5 Flying Training School, RAF Sealand
, and the Directorate of Training at the Air Ministry
, London. Returning to Australia in November 1927, he was appointed Second-in-Command 1FTS. In 1928, McNamara resumed his studies at the University of Melbourne, having earlier failed to pass the necessary exams to enter the RAF Staff College, Andover
. A part-time student, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in International Relations (second-class honours) in 1933. McNamara was made Commanding Officer
of 1FTS in October 1930, and promoted to Wing Commander
one year later. He was put in charge of RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria, including No. 1 Aircraft Depot, in February 1933. McNamara was raised to Group Captain
in 1936, and attended the Imperial Defence College
, London, the following year. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in the 1938 New Year Honours
.
When World War II broke out in September 1939, McNamara was serving as RAAF Liaison Officer at Australia House in London, a position he had held since January 1938. Shortly before being promoted Air Commodore
in December, he advocated establishing a reception base to act as a headquarters for the RAAF in England and "generally to watch the interests of Australian personnel" who were stationed there. However, by November 1940 he had reversed his position, in favour of an Air Ministry proposal to process personnel of all nationalities in one RAF
base camp. In the event, RAAF Overseas Headquarters was formed on 1 December 1941, with Air Marshal
Richard Williams appointed Air Officer Commanding
(AOC), and McNamara Deputy AOC. McNamara became acting Air Vice Marshal and acting AOC of RAAF Overseas Headquarters
when Williams returned to Australia in January 1942 for what was expected to be a temporary visit; Williams was subsequently posted to Washington, D.C.
and McNamara retained command of the headquarters until the end of the year.
McNamara was appointed AOC British Forces Aden
in late 1942, and arrived to take up the posting on 9 January 1943. Described in the official history of Australia in the war as a "backwater", British Forces Aden's main functions were conducting anti-submarine patrols
and escorting convoy
s. McNamara flew on these missions whenever he could, generally as an observer, but enemy contact was rare. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1945 New Year Honours, and returned to London in March. That month McNamara was deeply affected by the loss of his close friend Peter Drummond, who had helped keep attacking cavalry at bay during his Victoria Cross action in 1917. Drummond's Consolidated B-24 Liberator disappeared near the Azores
en route to Canada and all aboard were presumed killed; McNamara had to break the news to his widow, Isabel. McNamara's health had also suffered from exposure to the desert dust in Aden, and he was unable to take up his next position as the RAAF's representative at the Ministry of Defence
until September. His entire war was spent outside Australia.
McNamara was summarily retired from the RAAF in 1946, along with a number of other senior commanders and veterans of World War I, officially to make way for the advancement of younger and equally capable officers. In addition, McNamara's role overseas had become redundant. He was discharged from the Air Force on 11 July. In May 1946, the British government offered McNamara the position of Senior Education Control Officer in Westphalia
, Germany, under the auspices of the Allied Control Commission
. He later became Deputy Director of Education for the British Zone of Occupation
. McNamara continued to live in England after completing his work with the Commission in October 1947, and served on the National Coal Board
in London from 1947 to 1959. He died of hypertensive heart failure
on 2 November 1961, aged 67, after suffering a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire
. Survived by his wife and two children, he was buried at St Joseph's Priory, Austin Wood, Gerrards Cross
, following a large funeral.
Embittered by his dismissal from the RAAF and the meagre severance
he received from the Australian Government, McNamara had insisted that his Victoria Cross not be returned to Australia after his death; his family donated it to the RAF Museum, London. Fellow No. 1 Squadron pilot, Lieutenant (later Air Vice Marshal) Adrian Cole
, described McNamara as "quiet, scholarly, loyal and beloved by all ... the last Officer for whom that high honour would have been predicted". He was one of the few Victoria Cross recipients to subsequently attain senior rank in the armed services, however RAAF historian Dr Alan Stephens considered that his appointments were "in the main routine" and that his one great deed led to "a degree of fame that he perhaps found burdensome". Biographer Chris Coulthard-Clark summed up McNamara's "dilemma" as that of "an essentially ordinary man" thrust into the limelight by one "truly amazing episode". His name is borne by Frank McNamara Park in Shepparton
, Victoria, and the Frank McNamara VC Club at Oakey Army Aviation Centre
, Queensland
.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(4 April 1894 – 2 November 1961) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces. Serving with the Australian Flying Corps, he was honoured for his actions on 20 March 1917, when he rescued a fellow pilot who had been forced down behind enemy lines. McNamara was the first Australian aviator—and the only one in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
—to receive the Victoria Cross. He later became a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF).
Born and educated in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, McNamara was a teacher when he joined the militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
prior to World War I. In 1915, he was selected for pilot training at Central Flying School
Central Flying School RAAF
The Central Flying School RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force training establishment, based at RAAF Base East Sale. It was formed in March 1913, and during the First World War it trained over 150 pilots, who fought in Europe and the Middle East....
, Point Cook, and transferred to the Australian Flying Corps the following year. He was based in the Middle East
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
The Middle Eastern theatre of World War I was the scene of action between 29 October 1914, and 30 October 1918. The combatants were the Ottoman Empire, with some assistance from the other Central Powers, and primarily the British and the Russians among the Allies of World War I...
with No. 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
when he earned the Victoria Cross. In 1921, McNamara enlisted as a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
in the newly formed RAAF, rising to the rank of Air Vice Marshal by 1942. He held senior posts in England and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Retiring from the Air Force in 1946, McNamara continued to live in Britain until his death from heart failure in 1961.
Early life
Born in Rushworth, VictoriaRushworth, Victoria
Rushworth is a township in Victoria, Australia. It is located north of Melbourne and, at the 2006 census, had a population of 2066.-History:...
, McNamara was the first of eight children to William Francis McNamara, a State Lands Department officer, and his wife Rosanna. He began his schooling in Rushworth, and completed his secondary education at Shepparton Agricultural High School
Shepparton High School
Shepparton High School is a public secondary school in Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. The school was founded in 1909 as Shepparton Agricultural High School and was one of the first High Schools built in Victoria during that era...
, which he had entered via a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
. The family moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1910.
McNamara joined the school cadets
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
in 1911, and was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 49th Battalion (Brighton Rifles), a militia unit, in July 1913. He became a teacher after graduating from Melbourne Teachers' Training College in 1914, and taught at various schools in Victoria. He also enrolled in the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, but his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Militia to Australian Flying Corps
As a militia officer, McNamara was mobilised for service in Australia when war was declared in August 1914. After serving briefly at bases in QueenscliffQueenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
and Point Nepean
Point Nepean, Victoria
Point Nepean marks the southern point of The Rip and the most westerly point of the Mornington Peninsula, in Victoria, Australia. It was named after the British politician and colonial administrator, Sir Evan Nepean. It is within the suburb of Portsea...
, Victoria, McNamara passed through Officers Training School at Broadmeadows
Broadmeadows, Victoria
Broadmeadows is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume...
in December. He began instructing at the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
Training Depot, Broadmeadows, in February 1915. Promoted to Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in July, he immediately volunteered for a military aeronautics course at Central Flying School
Central Flying School RAAF
The Central Flying School RAAF is a Royal Australian Air Force training establishment, based at RAAF Base East Sale. It was formed in March 1913, and during the First World War it trained over 150 pilots, who fought in Europe and the Middle East....
, Point Cook.
Bristol Boxkite
-Military operators:* Australian Flying Corps** Central Flying School AFC at Point Cook, Victoria.* Union Defence Forces - South African Air Force Kingdom of Spain* Royal Flying Corps* Royal Naval Air Service** No. 3 Squadron RFC-References:...
on 18 September, and graduated as a pilot in October. On 6 January 1916, he was assigned as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
to No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
No. 1 Squadron RAAF
No. 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron based at RAAF Amberley. The squadron is currently being re-equipped with F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-role fighters.-World War I:...
(also known until 1918 as No. 67 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
). In March, McNamara departed Melbourne for Egypt aboard HMAT Orsova, arriving in Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
the following month. He was seconded to No. 42 Squadron RFC
No. 42 Squadron RAF
No. 42 Squadron of the Royal Air Force has served during World War I as an army co-operation squadron and during World War II in various roles. In recent years, it was the Operational Conversion Unit for the Nimrod MR.2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, until the Nimrod MR2's retirement in 2010.-First...
in May to attend Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
at Upavon
RAF Upavon
The former Royal Air Force Station Upavon, more commonly known as RAF Upavon, was a grass airfield, military flight training school, and administrative headquarters of the Royal Air Force....
, England; his secondment to the RFC was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 5 July 1916.
Completing his course at Upavon, McNamara was posted back to Egypt in August, but was hospitalised on 8 September with orchitis
Orchitis
Orchitis or orchiditis is a condition of the testes involving inflammation. It can also involve swelling and frequent infection.-Symptoms:Symptoms of orchitis are similar to those of testicular torsion...
. Discharged on 6 October, he served briefly as a flying instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
with No. 22 Squadron RFC
No. 22 Squadron RAF
No. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3A at three stations in the southern United Kingdom. The squadron was originally formed in 1915 as an aerial reconnaissance unit of the Royal Flying Corps serving on the Western Front during First World War...
, before returning to No. 1 Squadron. McNamara flew with C Flight, commanded by Captain (later Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir) Richard Williams. On his first sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
, a reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance that is conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles or reconnaissance aircraft. Their roles are to collect imagery intelligence, signals intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence...
mission over Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
, McNamara was unaware that his plane had been hit by anti-aircraft fire
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
; he returned to base with his engine's oil supply almost exhausted. Flying B.E.2s and Martinsyde
Martinsyde
Martinsyde was a British aircraft and motorcycle manufacturer between 1908 and 1922, when they were forced into liquidation by a factory fire.-History:...
s, he undertook further scouting and bombing missions in the ensuing months.
Victoria Cross
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
. Owing to a shortage of bombs, the aircraft were each armed with six specially modified 4.5-inch howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
shells. McNamara had successfully dropped three of his shells when the fourth exploded prematurely, badly wounded him in the leg with shrapnel, an effect he likened to being "hit with a sledgehammer". Having turned to head back to base, he spotted a fellow squadron member from the same mission, Captain David Rutherford, on the ground beside his crashlanded B.E.2. Allied airmen had been hacked to death by enemy troops in similar situations, and McNamara saw that a company of Turkish cavalry was fast approaching Rutherford's position. Despite the rough terrain and the gash in his leg, McNamara landed near Rutherford in an attempt to rescue him.
As there was no spare cockpit in the single-seat Martinsyde, the downed pilot jumped on to McNamara's wing and held the struts. McNamara crashed while attempting to take off, however, due to the effects of his leg wound and Rutherford's weight overbalancing the aircraft. The two men, who had escaped further injury in the accident, set fire to the Martinsyde and dashed back to Rutherford's B.E.2. Rutherford repaired the engine while McNamara used his revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
against the attacking cavalry, who had opened fire on them. Two other No. 1 Squadron pilots overhead, Lieutenant (later Air Marshal Sir) Roy "Peter" Drummond
Peter Roy Maxwell Drummond
Air Marshal Sir Peter Roy Maxwell Drummond KCB, DSO & Bar, OBE, MC was an Australian-born commander in the Royal Air Force . He rose from private soldier in World War I to Air Marshal in World War II. Drummond enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and saw action during the Gallipoli...
and Lieutenant Alfred Ellis, also began strafing the enemy troops. McNamara managed to start the B.E.2's engine and take off, with Rutherford in the observer's cockpit. In severe pain and close to blacking out from loss of blood, McNamara flew the damaged aircraft 70 miles (112.7 km) back to base at El Arish.
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
injection. McNamara had to be given artificial respiration
Artificial respiration
Artificial respiration is the act of assisting or stimulating respiration, a metabolic process referring to the overall exchange of gases in the body by pulmonary ventilation, external respiration, and internal respiration...
and stimulant
Stimulant
Stimulants are psychoactive drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both. Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others...
s to keep him alive, but recovered quickly. A contemporary news report declared that he was "soon sitting up, eating chicken and drinking champagne". On 26 March, McNamara was recommended for the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
by Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Geoffrey Salmond
Geoffrey Salmond
Air Chief Marshal Sir William Geoffrey Hanson Salmond KCB, KCMG, DSO , commonly known as Sir Geoffrey Salmond, was a senior commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the War, he held senior appointments in the Middle East, Great Britain and India...
, General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
the Middle East Brigade, RFC. Drummond, Ellis, and Rutherford all wrote statements on 3–4 April attesting to their comrade's actions, Rutherford declaring that "the risk of Lieut. MacNamara being killed or captured was so great that even had he not been wounded he would have been justified in not attempting my rescue – the fact of his already being wounded makes his action one of outstanding gallantry – his determination and resource and utter disregard of danger throughout the operation was worthy of the highest praise". The first and only VC won by an Australian airman in World War I, McNamara's award was promulgated in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 8 June 1917:
Promoted to Captain on 10 April 1917, McNamara became a flight commander
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
in No. 4 Squadron AFC
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
(also known until 1918 as No. 71 Squadron RFC), but was unable to continue flying due to the leg wound he suffered on 20 March. He was invalided back to Australia in August aboard HT Boorara, and given a hero's welcome on arrival in Melbourne. Found to be medically unfit for active service, McNamara was discharged from the Australian Flying Corps on 31 January 1918. However, panic caused by the intrusion into Australian waters of the German raider Wolf
SMS Wolf (auxiliary cruiser)
SMS Wolf was an armed merchant raider or auxiliary cruiser of the German Imperial Navy in World War I...
resulted in him being recalled to the AFC and put in charge of an aerial reconnaissance unit based in South Gippsland
South Gippsland
South Gippsland, a region of Gippsland in Victoria, Australia, is a well-watered region consisting of low, rolling hills descending to the coast in the south and the Latrobe Valley in the north. Low granite hills continue into Wilsons Promontory, the southernmost point of Victoria and mainland...
, Victoria, flying an F.E.2B
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
The Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 was a two-seat pusher biplane that was operated as a day and night bomber and as a fighter aircraft by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War...
and later a Maurice Farman Shorthorn
Farman MF.11
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
. In September 1918, he was posted as a flying instructor to Point Cook, where he saw out the remainder of the war.
Between the wars
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
with his Victoria Cross by the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
at Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne is the office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. It is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930...
, on 26 May. McNamara enlisted in the newly established Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
in 1921. Ranked Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
(honorary Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
), he was one of the original twenty-one officers on the Air Force's strength at its formation that March. Initially posted to RAAF Headquarters in Melbourne as Staff Officer Operations and Intelligence, McNamara was given command of No. 1 Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
(1FTS) at Point Cook in July 1922. He was promoted Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in March 1924 and the following month married Hélène Bluntschli, a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
national he had met in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
during the war, at St Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
St Patrick's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, and seat of its archbishop, currently Denis J. Hart. The building is known internationally as a leading example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture.In 1974 Pope Paul VI...
; his best man was fellow officer Frank Lukis
Frank Lukis
Air Commodore Francis William Fellowes Lukis, CBE was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . A veteran of World War I, he first saw combat as a soldier in the Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli...
.
McNamara travelled to England in 1925 for two years exchange with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, serving at No. 5 Flying Training School, RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand
RAF Sealand was a former Royal Air Force station in Flintshire, north Wales and operated between 1916 and 2006.Under defence cuts announced in 2004 RAF Sealand was completely closed in April 2006. All remaining RAF units were moved to RAF Leeming...
, and the Directorate of Training at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, London. Returning to Australia in November 1927, he was appointed Second-in-Command 1FTS. In 1928, McNamara resumed his studies at the University of Melbourne, having earlier failed to pass the necessary exams to enter the RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
. A part-time student, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in International Relations (second-class honours) in 1933. McNamara was made Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 1FTS in October 1930, and promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
one year later. He was put in charge of RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria, including No. 1 Aircraft Depot, in February 1933. McNamara was raised to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in 1936, and attended the Imperial Defence College
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
, London, the following year. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in the 1938 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
.
World War II
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
in December, he advocated establishing a reception base to act as a headquarters for the RAAF in England and "generally to watch the interests of Australian personnel" who were stationed there. However, by November 1940 he had reversed his position, in favour of an Air Ministry proposal to process personnel of all nationalities in one RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base camp. In the event, RAAF Overseas Headquarters was formed on 1 December 1941, with Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Richard Williams appointed Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC), and McNamara Deputy AOC. McNamara became acting Air Vice Marshal and acting AOC of RAAF Overseas Headquarters
RAAF Overseas Headquarters
RAAF Overseas Headquarters was a Royal Australian Air Force administrative unit located in London. It was formed on 1 December 1941 to oversee the welfare of RAAF personnel posted to Royal Air Force units as well as the Australian squadrons which were planned to be formed as part of the RAF in...
when Williams returned to Australia in January 1942 for what was expected to be a temporary visit; Williams was subsequently posted to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and McNamara retained command of the headquarters until the end of the year.
McNamara was appointed AOC British Forces Aden
British Forces Aden
British Forces Aden was the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the Aden Protectorate during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggression.-History:...
in late 1942, and arrived to take up the posting on 9 January 1943. Described in the official history of Australia in the war as a "backwater", British Forces Aden's main functions were conducting anti-submarine patrols
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
and escorting convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s. McNamara flew on these missions whenever he could, generally as an observer, but enemy contact was rare. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1945 New Year Honours, and returned to London in March. That month McNamara was deeply affected by the loss of his close friend Peter Drummond, who had helped keep attacking cavalry at bay during his Victoria Cross action in 1917. Drummond's Consolidated B-24 Liberator disappeared near the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
en route to Canada and all aboard were presumed killed; McNamara had to break the news to his widow, Isabel. McNamara's health had also suffered from exposure to the desert dust in Aden, and he was unable to take up his next position as the RAAF's representative at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
until September. His entire war was spent outside Australia.
Retirement and legacy
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany, under the auspices of the Allied Control Commission
Allied Control Council
The Allied Control Council or Allied Control Authority, known in the German language as the Alliierter Kontrollrat and also referred to as the Four Powers , was a military occupation governing body of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany after the end of World War II in Europe...
. He later became Deputy Director of Education for the British Zone of Occupation
Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
. McNamara continued to live in England after completing his work with the Commission in October 1947, and served on the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
in London from 1947 to 1959. He died of hypertensive heart failure
Hypertensive heart disease
Hypertensive heart disease is any of a number of complications of arterial hypertension that affects the heart.-Symptoms:* Fatigue* Cardiomegaly* Irregular pulse* Swelling of feet* Weight gain* Nausea* Shortness of breath...
on 2 November 1961, aged 67, after suffering a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Survived by his wife and two children, he was buried at St Joseph's Priory, Austin Wood, Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross
Gerrards Cross is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the south of the county, near the border with Greater London, south of Chalfont St Peter. Gerrards Cross is also a civil parish within South Bucks district, which was known as the Beaconsfield district from 1974 to 1980...
, following a large funeral.
Embittered by his dismissal from the RAAF and the meagre severance
Severance package
A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:* An additional payment based on months of service...
he received from the Australian Government, McNamara had insisted that his Victoria Cross not be returned to Australia after his death; his family donated it to the RAF Museum, London. Fellow No. 1 Squadron pilot, Lieutenant (later Air Vice Marshal) Adrian Cole
Adrian Cole (RAAF officer)
Air Vice Marshal Adrian Lindley Trevor Cole, CBE, DSO, MC, DFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . Joining the army at the outbreak of World War I, he transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916 and flew with No. 1 Squadron in the Middle East and No. 2...
, described McNamara as "quiet, scholarly, loyal and beloved by all ... the last Officer for whom that high honour would have been predicted". He was one of the few Victoria Cross recipients to subsequently attain senior rank in the armed services, however RAAF historian Dr Alan Stephens considered that his appointments were "in the main routine" and that his one great deed led to "a degree of fame that he perhaps found burdensome". Biographer Chris Coulthard-Clark summed up McNamara's "dilemma" as that of "an essentially ordinary man" thrust into the limelight by one "truly amazing episode". His name is borne by Frank McNamara Park in Shepparton
Shepparton, Victoria
Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
, Victoria, and the Frank McNamara VC Club at Oakey Army Aviation Centre
Oakey Army Aviation Centre
Oakey Army Aviation Centre is situated approximately 3 km from the town centre of Oakey in Queensland, Australia. It provides a training establishment for Australian Army Aviation, and also hosts a Singapore Armed Forces Helicopter Squadron, namely the 126 Squadron.-History:The base has a...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.