Arthur Stewart King Scarf
- Arthur Stewart King Scarf
Squadron Leader Arthur Stewart King Scarf VC (14 June 1913 - 9 December 1941) 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. He attended King's College School in Wimbledon, and was a RAF Cranwell trained regular.
He was 28 years old, and a Squadron Leader in 62 Squadron, Royal Air Force during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
Raid on Singora
On 9 December 1941 in Malaya, near the Siam border, all available aircraft had been ordered to make a daylight raid on Singora (where the Japanese Army was invading), in Siam. Squadron Leader Scarf, as leader of the raid, had just taken off from the base at Butterworth when enemy aircraft swept in destroying or disabling all the rest of the machines. The Squadron Leader decided nevertheless to fly alone to Singora. Despite attacks from roving fighters he completed his bombing run and was on his way back when his aircraft became riddled with bullets and he was severely wounded, his left arm had been shattered, he had a large hole in his back and was drifting in and out of consciousness. He managed to crash-land the Blenheim at Alor Star, without causing any injury to his crew, and was rushed to hospital where he died two hours later.
Scarf's VC was not gazetted until June 1946. Because of the chaotic nature of the Malayan campaign, the facts concerning Scarf's actions were not known until after the war. At the time of his death he was about to become a father for the first time. His pregnant wife was a nurse based at the Alor Star hospital, but had just been evacuated south. The two other crewmen from Scarf's Blenheim were also given awards after the war for their courage during this action; Sergeant Paddy Calder (later Squadron Leader) was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal and Sergeant Cyril Rich (KIA in 1943) received a posthumous Mentioned in Despatches.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum "(Hendon, England)".
References
* [http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=937770 CWGC entry]
*British VCs of World War 2 (John Laffin, 1997)
*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*Smith, Colin, "Singapore Burning: Heroism and Surrender in World War II " (p158-159)Penguin books 2005, ISBN 0-670-91341-3
External links
* [http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/Arthur_Scarf_VC/ Arthur Scarf dedication, Far Eastern Heroes Site]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
King's College School — Infobox UK school name = King s College School, Wimbledon size = 100px latitude = longitude = dms = motto = Sancte Et Sapienter (Latin: With Holiness and Wisdom ) motto pl = established = 1829 approx = closed = c approx = type = Public School… … Wikipedia
List of World War II topics (A) — # A 20 Havoc # A 25 Helldiver # A 26 Invader # A 31 Vengeance # A A line # A Bell for Adano (novel) # A Blank in the Weather Map # A Bridge Too Far (book) # A Bridge Too Far (film) # A Canterbury Tale # A Challenge to Democracy # A class… … Wikipedia
List of Victoria Cross recipients by name - S — The following people are recipients of the Victoria Cross.*Clifford William King Sadlier mdash; 1918; Villers Bretonneux, France *Thomas Henry Sage mdash; 1917; Ypres, Belgium *Philip Salkeld mdash; 1857; Delhi, India *Nowell Salmon mdash; 1857;… … Wikipedia
List of English Victoria Cross recipients — The following is a partial list of English recipients of the Victoria Cross.A*Arthur Louis Aaron 1943; Turin, Italy *Alfred Ablett 1855; Sebastopol, Crimea *Harold Ackroyd 1917; Ypres, Belgium *Abraham Acton 1914; Rouges Bancs, France *Henry… … Wikipedia
List of Second World War Victoria Cross recipients — 182 Victoria Crosses were awarded to 181 service personnel for gallant acts carried out during the Second World War. The following 180 recipients were awarded the Victoria Cross for the Second World War (1939–1945). Charles Upham received the… … Wikipedia
Liste von Kriegsfilmen — Es ist teilweise umstritten, welche Spielfilme als „Kriegsfilme“ gelten können. Wie im Hauptartikel Kriegsfilm dargelegt, gibt es die Auffassung, nur die Thematisierung moderner Kriege rechtfertige das Etikett „Kriegsfilm“. Hiervon abweichend… … Deutsch Wikipedia
literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… … Universalium
Mary, Queen of Scots — For other uses, see Mary, Queen of Scots (disambiguation). Mary Stuart Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots after François Clouet Queen of Scots … Wikipedia
Calendar of 2002 — ▪ 2003 January I will not wait on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world s most destructive… … Universalium
2009 New Year Honours — The New Year Honours 2009 principally for the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 31 December 2008,[1] to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2009. The recipients of honours are displayed here as… … Wikipedia
