Richard Bell-Davies
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral Richard Bell Davies VC
, CB
, DSO
, AFC
(19 May 1886 – 26 February 1966), also known as Richard Bell Davies was a British First World War fighter pilot and Royal Navy
officer. He was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, London
, Bell Davies was orphaned by the age of six and was brought up by an uncle, a doctor. Davies then enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1901 and in 1910 took private flying lessons, and in 1913 he was accepted into the Royal Naval Air Service
.
In the early days of the war Davies took part in a number of raids on the German submarine bases at Zeebrugge
, earning a DSO. On 23 January 1915 a low-level attack to drop bombs on the submarines alongside the Mole at Zeebrugge resulted in Bell-Davies receiving a severe bullet wound in his thigh, although he managed to land safely despite this injury.
Davies was then posted to the Dardenelles, and earned two mentions in dispatches.
on 1 January 1916 for an action at Ferrijik Junction, Bulgaria
on 19 November 1915. He was 29 years old, and a Squadron Commander in 3 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service. His citation read:
This was the first combat search and rescue
by aircraft in history. Like the search and rescue efforts of the future, Bell-Davies action sprang from the fervent desire to keep a compatriot from capture or death at the hands of the enemy; unlike most of those future efforts, it was a one-man impromptu show that succeeded because of a peculiarity in construction of his aircraft. The Nieuport 10
he was flying was a single seat model which had had its front cockpit decked over. When Bell Davies picked him up under rifle fire, Smylie wriggled past Bell-Davies and through his controls into the tiny roofed-over front compartment. Smylie was so thoroughly wedged among the controls that, upon landing, it took two hours to extricate him.
upon retiring on 29 May 1941, his last appointment being Rear Admiral
, Naval Air Stations (HMS Daedalus). He then joined the Royal Naval Reserve
with a reduction in rank
to Commander
, and served as a Convoy Commodore
and then as commissioning captain of the escort carrier HMS Dasher
and the trials carrier HMS Pretoria Castle
, until leaving the RNR in 1944.
He died at RNH Haslar in Gosport
, Hampshire
. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Fleet Air Arm
Museum in Yeovil
, Somerset
.
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...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(19 May 1886 – 26 February 1966), also known as Richard Bell Davies was a British First World War fighter pilot and 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...
officer. He was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to 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.
Background
Born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Bell Davies was orphaned by the age of six and was brought up by an uncle, a doctor. Davies then enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1901 and in 1910 took private flying lessons, and in 1913 he was accepted into the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
.
In the early days of the war Davies took part in a number of raids on the German submarine bases at Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
, earning a DSO. On 23 January 1915 a low-level attack to drop bombs on the submarines alongside the Mole at Zeebrugge resulted in Bell-Davies receiving a severe bullet wound in his thigh, although he managed to land safely despite this injury.
Davies was then posted to the Dardenelles, and earned two mentions in dispatches.
Earning the Victoria Cross
He was awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria 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....
on 1 January 1916 for an action at Ferrijik Junction, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
on 19 November 1915. He was 29 years old, and a Squadron Commander in 3 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service. His citation read:
This was the first combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
by aircraft in history. Like the search and rescue efforts of the future, Bell-Davies action sprang from the fervent desire to keep a compatriot from capture or death at the hands of the enemy; unlike most of those future efforts, it was a one-man impromptu show that succeeded because of a peculiarity in construction of his aircraft. The Nieuport 10
Nieuport 10
|-See also:- External links :* *...
he was flying was a single seat model which had had its front cockpit decked over. When Bell Davies picked him up under rifle fire, Smylie wriggled past Bell-Davies and through his controls into the tiny roofed-over front compartment. Smylie was so thoroughly wedged among the controls that, upon landing, it took two hours to extricate him.
Post World War I
Bell Davies achieved the rank of Vice AdmiralVice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
upon retiring on 29 May 1941, his last appointment being Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, Naval Air Stations (HMS Daedalus). He then joined the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
with a reduction in rank
Reduction in rank
Reduction in rank may refer to two separate concepts:*In military law, a reduction in rank is a demotion in military rank as punishment for a crime or wrongdoing, imposed by a court-martial or other authority...
to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, and served as a Convoy Commodore
Convoy commodore
A Convoy Commodore was the title of a civilian put in charge of the good order of the merchant ships in the British convoys used during World War II. Usually the convoy commodore was a retired naval officer or a senior merchant captain drawn from the RNVR...
and then as commissioning captain of the escort carrier HMS Dasher
HMS Dasher (D37)
HMS Dasher was a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier, of the Avenger class – converted merchant vessels – and one of the shortest lived escort carriers.-Design and description:...
and the trials carrier HMS Pretoria Castle
HMS Pretoria Castle (F61)
HMS Pretoria Castle was an armed merchant cruiser and escort aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that saw service during World War II...
, until leaving the RNR in 1944.
He died at RNH Haslar in Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. His Victoria Cross is on display at the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
Museum in Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
See also
- List of firsts in aviation
- Sailor in the Air: The Memoirs of Vice-Admiral Richard Bell Davies, VC RN. Richard Bell Davies, 1967. Digitized Sep 21, 2007. ISBN not available
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)
- Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945
- Sailor in The Air: The Memoirs of the World's First Carrier Pilot Seaforth Publishing