Alan Jerrard

Flight Lieutenant Alan Jerrard VC (3 December 1897 - 14 May 1968) 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.

Born in Lewisham, he moved in 1902 with his family to Sutton Coldfield where his father was for 24 years headmaster of Bishop Vesey's Grammar School. In 1916 he volunteered for the army, then he joined the Royal Flying Corps and trained as a fighter pilot.

From mid-1917 he served in No. 19 Squadron RFC in France, but he was injured in an air crash on 5 August 1917, flying a SPAD VII. From 22 February 1918 he served in No. 66 Squadron RFC in Italy, as a lieutenant, flying Sopwith Camels. Between 27 February and 21 March he scored four aerial victories, including one balloon.

He was awarded the VC for the following deed:

On 30 March 1918 near Mansue, Italy, Lieutenant Jerrard, with two other officers, Peter Carpenter and Harold Eycott-Martin, on offensive patrol, shot down one of five enemy aircraft. Then flying at 50 ft. he attacked an aerodrome with some 19 machines either landing or attempting to take off. After destroying one of these he was attacked by more enemy aircraft but, seeing a brother-officer in difficulties, went to assist him, destroying a third enemy machine, then continued his attacks, only retreating, with five machines in pursuit, on the orders of the patrol leader. Even then he repeatedly turned to beat off the enemy until finally forced down.

After the war it was however revealed, that the British opponents were only four Austrian Albatros D.III (Oef) fighters, one of which was damaged and had to land, while the pilot of the other one was injured by a ball. Jerrard was shot down by the ace Benno Fiala von Fernbrugg from Flik 51/J, and became a prisoner of war. Jerrard himself did not claim to destroy any planes in that skirmish, only he claimed to shoot up one. He was the only Camel pilot to be awarded VC [Norman Frank: "Sopwith Camel aces of World War I", Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 52, Oxford 2003, ISBN 1-84176-534-1, p. 87]

He later achieved the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum "(Hendon, England)".

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*VCs of the First World War - Air VCs (P G Cooksley, 1999)
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/jerrard.php The Aerodrome ]

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/middlese.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Middlesex)"
* [http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/jerrard.html Alan Jerrard]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8111359 Alan Jerrard on Find-A-Grave]