Reginald Alexander John Warneford was a 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 was 23 years old, and a Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, (1 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service) during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 7 June 1915 at Ghent, Belgium, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Warneford attacked and completely destroyed the German airship LZ37 in mid air. He had chased the airship from the coast near Ostend and, despite its defensive machine-gun fire, succeeded in dropping his bombs on it, the last of which set the airship on fire. The explosion overturned the attacking plane and stopped its engine. Having no alternative, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Warneford had to land in hostile country, but after 35 minutes spent on repairs, he managed to restart the engine and returned to base.

He was killed in a flying accident, Versailles, France, on 17 June 1915.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum (Yeovil, Somerset, England).

Reference

• The Airship VC (Raymond Laurence Rimell)
• 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)
• (Mary Gibson, 1984)
• Warneford, VC (Mary Gibson)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Brompton Cemetery)

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.