April 2018 FLYPAST 89Richard Bell-Davies was a founding fi gure
of naval aviation who displayed exemplary
courage in World War One. Graham
Pitchfork profi les this remarkable pioneer.VICTORIA CROSS RICHARD BELL-DAVIES
appearing to be unsuitable.
As he approached, a bomb on
the crashed aircraft exploded,
forcing him to climb away to make
a second approach. He landed near
his colleague who was able to assist
Bell-Davies to taxi to a point giving
the longest take-off run before he
climbed into the cramped cockpit.
The Bulgars were within rifle range
and opened fire, but Bell-Davies
managed to take off from the
undulating ground in his overloaded
aircraft. For this gallant action, and
the first combat rescue by aircraft in
history, he was awarded the Victoria
Cross. The citation concluded: ‘... it
was a feat of airmanship that can
seldom have been equalled for skill
and gallantry’.
Bell-Davies returned to England
to command several naval air
stations before further service
in France. He later became the
senior flying officer aboard HMS
Campania, and for the rest of the
war made a major contribution to
the development of using aircraft
aboard ships and early aircraft
carriers – work which led to him
being awarded the Air Force Cross.
Bell-Davies elected to remain in
the Royal Navy at the end of the war
to continue a life-long involvement
in naval aviation. By the beginning
of World War Two he had risen to
Rear Admiral in command of all UK
naval air stations. After promotion
to Vice Admiral on May 29, 1941 he
initially retired but, a year later,
returned to war service in the Royal
Navy Reserve as a Commodore on
convoys before retirement proper
in 1944.
A pioneer of naval aviation,
Bell-Davies died in February 1966,
aged 79.For For For
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A
career naval officer, Richard
Bell-Davies had been in the
Royal Navy for ten years
when he qualified for his Royal
Aeronautical Club certificate (No.
90) in May 1911 making him one of
the first naval pilots.
At the outbreak of World War
One, he moved to Ostend and on
to Dunkirk with No. 3 Squadron
RNAS. For three months he flew
reconnaissance and bombing sorties
and on one occasion, in January
1915, was wounded by anti-aircraft
fire with his aircraft sustaining
damage. He continued with his
mission and managed to achieve a
perfect straddle with his bombs on a
submarine anchored in Zeebrugge.
For this act, he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order.
Bell-Davies returned to his
unit three months later as
it prepared to sail for
the Dardanelles. He
provided cover for
the ANZAC landings
at Suvla Bay before
the squadron
started long-range
bombing on Turkish
supply lines.Squadron strength
On November 19, 1915 an attack at
squadron strength was mounted
against key railway targets near
the Turkish border with Bulgaria.
Bell-Davies’ Nieuport 12 was
carrying six 20lb bombs. He had
just completed his attack when he
noticed another of the unit’s aircraft
crash-land in an area of marshland.
He saw the pilot waving and that
Bulgarian troops were approaching,
so decided to land to rescue the
stranded pilot despite the ground