FlyPast | Valour in the Air
The Victoria Cross traces its history back to the Crimean War and has become one of the most admired and prized medals for valour in military history. Since it was introduced in 1856 the VC has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients.
The advent of aerial warfare during the Great War meant that pilots of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and, later, the RAF were putting themselves in grave danger on an almost daily basis. It was therefore inevitable that the new breed of aerial knights would soon feature within the ranks of VC holders.
On April 26, 1915 William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse became the first aviator to be awarded the VC, albeit posthumously, after his Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2 was downed in Belgium whilst bombing a railway junction.
By the end of the Great War, some 19 members of aircrew had been awarded the VC for their gallantry and by the end of World War Two the total number of aviators who received the award stood at 51.
This special publication tells their story.
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Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in FlyPast Valour in the Air.