Lloyd Allan Trigg
Encyclopedia
Flying Officer
Lloyd Allan Trigg VC
DFC
(5 May 1914 – 11 August 1943), of Houhora
, New Zealand
, was a pilot in the RNZAF
. He was a posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy for British
and Commonwealth
armed forces. His award is unique, as it was awarded on evidence solely provided by the enemy, for an action in which there were no surviving Allied witnesses to corroborate his gallantry.
, Northland, New Zealand
on 5 May 1914 and was educated at Whangarei Boys' High School.
, Trigg obtained his pilot's wings
on 16 January 1942, and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
. After receiving further training in Lockheed Hudson
aircraft he embarked for the UK
in October 1942.
He was posted to West Africa in December 1942 and joined No.200 Squadron in January 1943. As a first pilot he took part in some 50 operational reconnaissance patrols, convoy escort flights and anti-submarine patrols. The squadron later converted to the maritime version of the B-24 Liberator. He was an experienced pilot (he had already been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
) while attached to 200 Squadron RAF
, operating with Coastal Command
.
He was flying his first operational flight in a Liberator V
(having previously flown Hudsons
) over the Atlantic
from his base in Bathurst, West Africa (now Banjul
, The Gambia
), when on 11 August 1943 when he engaged the German
submarine
U-468
under the command of Oberleutnant Klemens Schamong.
His aircraft received several catastrophic hits from the submarine's anti-aircraft guns during its approach to drop depth charge
s and was on fire as Trigg made his final attack.
It then crashed 300 yards behind its victim, killing Trigg and his crew. The only witnesses to his high courage were the U-boat crew members. Since Trigg has no burial place, he is commemorated on the Malta Memorial
to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives around the Mediterranean during the Second World War and who have no known grave.
The badly damaged U-boat sank soon after the attack sank with the loss of 42 hands but seven survivors (including Schamong) were spotted by an RAF Short Sunderland
of No. 204 Squadron in the dinghy of the crashed Liberator, drifting off the coast of West Africa. They were rescued by a Royal Navy
vessel HMS Clakia the next day and Schamong reported the incident, recommending Trigg be decorated for his bravery. The citation reads as follows:
The Victoria Cross was awarded to Trigg's widow by the Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Cyril Newall
, on 28 May 1944.
. The commander said about Trigg's effort "such a gallant fighter as Trigg would have been decorated in Germany with the highest medal or order".
In May 1998, Trigg's VC was sold at auction by Spinks of London for £120,000, the equal highest price ever realised for a VC at that time. The seller was not believed to have been a relative of Trigg and the medals were purchased on behalf of the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection. The VC is now on display at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in Imperial War Museum
Trigg's complete medal awards are:
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...
Lloyd Allan Trigg VC
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....
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(5 May 1914 – 11 August 1943), of Houhora
Houhora
Houhora is a locality and harbour on the east side of the Aupouri Peninsula of Northland, New Zealand. It is north of Kaitaia. Waihopo, Te Raupo, Pukenui, Raio and Houhora Heads are associated localities on the southern shores of the harbour. State Highway 1 passes through all these localities...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, was a pilot in the RNZAF
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
. He was a posthumous 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 award for gallantry in the face of the enemy for 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...
armed forces. His award is unique, as it was awarded on evidence solely provided by the enemy, for an action in which there were no surviving Allied witnesses to corroborate his gallantry.
Early Life
Lloyd Allan Trigg, the son of Arthur and Cecelia Louisa Trigg (nee White), was born at HouhoraHouhora
Houhora is a locality and harbour on the east side of the Aupouri Peninsula of Northland, New Zealand. It is north of Kaitaia. Waihopo, Te Raupo, Pukenui, Raio and Houhora Heads are associated localities on the southern shores of the harbour. State Highway 1 passes through all these localities...
, Northland, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 5 May 1914 and was educated at Whangarei Boys' High School.
Military Career
He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as a trainee pilot in June 1941. After attending training school in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Trigg obtained his pilot's wings
Aircrew brevet
An aircrew brevet is the badge worn on the left breast, above any medal ribbons, by qualified aircrew in the Royal Air Force, British Army, Indian Air Force, Canadian Forces, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, South African Air Force and Sri Lanka Air...
on 16 January 1942, and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
. After receiving further training in Lockheed Hudson
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
aircraft he embarked for the UK
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...
in October 1942.
He was posted to West Africa in December 1942 and joined No.200 Squadron in January 1943. As a first pilot he took part in some 50 operational reconnaissance patrols, convoy escort flights and anti-submarine patrols. The squadron later converted to the maritime version of the B-24 Liberator. He was an experienced pilot (he had already been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
) while attached to 200 Squadron RAF
No. 200 Squadron RAF
No. 200 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated during the Second World War.It was formed in May 1941 from a section of No. 206 Squadron RAF, at Bircham Newton in Norfolk, operating Lockheed Hudson bombers...
, operating with Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
.
He was flying his first operational flight in a Liberator V
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
(having previously flown Hudsons
Lockheed Hudson
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
) over the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
from his base in Bathurst, West Africa (now Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
, The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
), when on 11 August 1943 when he engaged the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
submarine
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
U-468
Unterseeboot 468
German submarine U-468 was a Type VIIC U-boat of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The submarine was laid down on 1 July 1941 at the Deutsche Werke yard at Kiel, launched on 16 May 1942, and commissioned on 12 August 1942 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Klemens Schamong...
under the command of Oberleutnant Klemens Schamong.
His aircraft received several catastrophic hits from the submarine's anti-aircraft guns during its approach to drop depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s and was on fire as Trigg made his final attack.
It then crashed 300 yards behind its victim, killing Trigg and his crew. The only witnesses to his high courage were the U-boat crew members. Since Trigg has no burial place, he is commemorated on the Malta Memorial
Malta Memorial
The Malta Memorial is a commemorative war memorial monument to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives in the various Second World War air battles and engagements around the Mediterranean, and who have no known grave....
to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives around the Mediterranean during the Second World War and who have no known grave.
The badly damaged U-boat sank soon after the attack sank with the loss of 42 hands but seven survivors (including Schamong) were spotted by an RAF Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
of No. 204 Squadron in the dinghy of the crashed Liberator, drifting off the coast of West Africa. They were rescued by a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
vessel HMS Clakia the next day and Schamong reported the incident, recommending Trigg be decorated for his bravery. The citation reads as follows:
The Victoria Cross was awarded to Trigg's widow by the Governor General of New Zealand, Sir Cyril Newall
Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Cyril Louis Norton Newall, 1st Baron Newall GCB OM GCMG CBE AM , was a British soldier and airman, who headed the Royal Air Force as the Chief of the Air Staff during the early part of the Second World War before serving as the sixth Governor-General of New Zealand...
, on 28 May 1944.
Legacy
New Zealand researcher Arthur Arculus tracked down Klemens Schamong who lives today near KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. The commander said about Trigg's effort "such a gallant fighter as Trigg would have been decorated in Germany with the highest medal or order".
In May 1998, Trigg's VC was sold at auction by Spinks of London for £120,000, the equal highest price ever realised for a VC at that time. The seller was not believed to have been a relative of Trigg and the medals were purchased on behalf of the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection. The VC is now on display at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
Trigg's complete medal awards are:
- The Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe 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 Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
- The 1939-45 Star
- The Atlantic StarAtlantic StarThe Atlantic Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The star was awarded for six months service afloat, in the Atlantic or in Home Waters, within the period 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945...
- The Defence Medal
- The War Medal 1939-45War Medal 1939–1945The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea...
- The New Zealand War Service MedalNew Zealand War Service MedalThe New Zealand War Service Medal was a New Zealand campaign medal for service in World War II.The NZWSM was approved in 1946, and was awarded to members of the New Zealand armed forces, the National Military Reserve, and the Home Guard...
External links
- New Zealand Electronic Text Centre - a more detailed report of the action.
- Lloyd Trigg in a listing of New Zealanders who have won the VC
- Lloyd Trigg in a listing of New Zealanders who have won the VC - with a picture of his medals.
- Burial location of Lloyd Trigg "Aircraft crashed into the sea, no known grave".
- News item" Lloyd Trigg's Victoria Cross sold at auction".
- NZPA release "U-boat captain who shot down NZ VC-winner found".