irish recipients of the victoria cross during
the second world war
David Samuel Anthony Lord VC
David Lord, VC, DFC ( 18th October 1913 - 19th September 1944 ) was born St Mary's Avenue, Cork, Ireland, the son of Samuel Lord, a Warrant Officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Mary Lord in October 1913. After the First World War the family were posted to British India and Lord attended Lucknow Convent School. On his father's retirement from the army the family moved to Wrexham and then David was a pupil at St. Mary's College, Aberstwyth before attending the English Ecclesiastical College, Valladolid, Spain to study for the priesthood. Deciding the priesthood was not a career for him he returned to Wrexham before moving to London in the mid 1930s as a freelance writer. He enlisted in the RAF in 1936. He underwent pilot training, becoming a Sergeant Pilot in 1939 with No. 31 Squadron RAF on the North West Frontier, flying the Vickers Valentia biplane. In 1941 No 31 Squadron RAF was the first unit to receive the Douglas DC-2 ' Dakota ' transport. He flew in the Middle East, ( being injured in a crash ) before being posted back to India. Commissioned in 1942, he flew on supply missions over Burma. Lord was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during 1943 and by January 1944 had returned to the UK for service with No. 271 Squadron ( based at Down Ampney, Wiltshire training to drop paratroops, supplies and to tow military gliders. He then took part in the D-Day operations in June 1944. David Lord was 30 years old, and a flight Lieutenant in 271 Squadron, RAF when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
19th September 1944 - Lord was pilot and captain of a Dakota aircraft detailed to drop supplies at Arnhem on the afternoon of 19th September. Allied airborne troops had been surrounded and were being pressed into a small area defended by large numebr of enemy anti-aircraft guns. Aircrews were warned that intense opposition would be met over the dropping zone. To ensure accuracy they were ordered to fly at 900 feet when dropping their containers. While flying at 1,500 feet near Arnhem the starboard wing of Flight Lieutenant Lord's aircraft was twice hit by anti-aircraft fire and the starboard engine was set on fire. He would have been justified in leaving the stream of supply aircraft and continuing at the same height or even abandoning his aircraft. But on learning that his crew were uninjured and that the dropping zone would be reached in three minutes he said he would complete his mission as the troops were in dire need of supplies. By now the starboard engine was burning furiously. Lord came down to 900 feet, where he was singled out for the concentrated fire of all the anti-aircraft guns. On reaching the dropping zone he kept the aircraft on a straight and level course while supplies were dropped. At the end of the run, he was told that two containers remained. Although he must have known that the collapse of the starboard wing could not be long delayed, Lord circled, rejoined the stream of aircraft and made a second run to drop the remaining supplies. These manoeuvres took eight minutes in all, the aircraft being continuously under heavy anti-aircraft fire. His task completed, Lord ordered his crew to abandon the Dakota, making no attempt himself to leave the aircraft, which was down to 500 feet. A few seconds later, the starboard wind collapsed and the aircraft fell in flames. There was only one survivor, who was flung out while assisting other members of the crew to put on their parachutes. The sole survivor was Pilot Officer Harry King. He was taken prisoner and it was not until he was released at the end of the war, that he was able to report Lord's extraordinary sacrifice. Lord was the only member of Transport Command to receive the VC. The Chief of Air Staff, Lord Portal, wrote to Lord's parents:
' I have read of many great deeds for which the Victoria Cross has been awarded but i do not remember one that surpassed in gallantry the action of your son. '
