352:
on the
Dortmund Ems Canal. He had attacked this objective on a previous occasion and was well aware of the risks entailed. To achieve success it was necessary to approach from a direction well known to the enemy, through a lane of especially disposed anti-aircraft defences, and in the face of the most intense point-blank fire from guns of all calibres. The reception of the preceding aircraft might well have deterred the stoutest heart, all being hit and two lost. Flight Lieutenant Learoyd nevertheless made his attack at 150 feet, his aircraft being repeatedly hit and large pieces of the main plane torn away. He was almost blinded by the glare of many searchlights at close range, but pressed home this attack with the greatest resolution and skill. He subsequently brought his wrecked aircraft home and, as the landing flaps were inoperative and the undercarriage indicators out of action, waited for dawn in the vicinity of his aerodrome before landing, which he accomplished without causing injury to his crew or further damage to the aircraft. The high courage, skill and determination, which this officer has invariably displayed on many occasions in the face of the enemy sets an example which is unsurpassed.
321:
41:
304:
including a ruptured hydraulic system, resulting in inoperable wing flaps and a useless undercarriage. Wing damage, though serious, had fortunately missed the wing petrol tanks. Despite this damage the bombs were duly dropped and
Learoyd managed to get his crippled plane back to England where he decided that a night landing would be too dangerous for his crippled aircraft and so circled base until first light, finally safely landing without causing injury to his crew or further damage to his aircraft.
351:
This officer, as first pilot of a
Hampden aircraft, has repeatedly shown the highest conception of his duty and complete indifference to personal danger in making attacks at the lowest altitudes regardless of opposition. On the night of 12th August, 1940, he was detailed to attack a special objective
303:
that made the attack that night, two were destroyed and two more were badly hit. Flight
Lieutenant Learoyd took his plane into the target at only 150 feet, in the full glare of the searchlights and flak barrage all round him. After commencing its bombing run Learoyd's aircraft was badly damaged,
273:, on 3 September six Hampdens from No. 83 Squadron and three from No. 49 Squadron (including Learoyd) left Scampton on an "armed reconnaissance" sortie over the North Sea. During the next ten months Learoyd participated in 23 more bombing sorties, and was an acting
369:
for the remainder of the war. After surviving the war, Learoyd returned to civilian life, first as a VIP pilot and later as an export sales manager in the motor industry. He remained in the RAF reserves until 9 February 1958, when he retired with the rank of
307:
The
Victoria Cross was awarded at an investiture on 9 September 1940, by which time Learoyd, taken off operations and promoted to substantive flight lieutenant, was acting temporarily as personal assistant to Air Chief Marshal Sir
661:
211:
666:
656:
280:
On 12 August 1940 eleven
Hampdens – six from No. 49 Squadron, five from No. 83 Squadron – were detailed to destroy the old aqueduct carrying the canal over the river Ems, north of
651:
646:
636:
345:
The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the undermentioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery :-
284:. Flight Lieutenant Learoyd was one of the pilots briefed to bomb. Learoyd was detailed as pilot of Hampden P4403, "EA-M", and his crew comprised
671:
320:
641:
494:
401:
593:
631:
40:
207:
183:
626:
621:
601:
309:
300:
259:
231:
230:(RAF) and was accepted in March 1936. He took a short service commission and was commissioned as an
393:
375:
366:
332:
The announcement and accompanying citation for the decoration was published in a supplement to the
293:
235:
136:
132:
570:
550:
575:
555:
535:
515:
470:
450:
430:
239:
277:
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC, gazetted on 20 August 1940.
17:
490:
397:
274:
182:, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
530:
510:
445:
425:
270:
146:
465:
362:
325:
247:
227:
175:
104:
606:
371:
334:
263:
179:
171:
164:
156:
122:
615:
285:
251:
243:
84:
281:
195:
80:
60:
215:
289:
255:
199:
348:
Acting Flight
Lieutenant Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd 37860 :-
203:
198:
on 5 February 1913 and educated at
Hydneye House Preparatory School,
319:
64:
374:. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the
258:
and became the first RAF squadron to re-equip with the new
254:
on 23 March 1937. In March 1938, No. 49 Squadron moved to
212:
Chelsea
College of Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering
662:
British World War II recipients of the
Victoria Cross
152:
142:
128:
118:
110:
98:
90:
70:
47:
31:
667:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
657:Royal Air Force recipients of the Victoria Cross
340:
8:
292:Walter Ellis (wireless operator-gunner) and
579:(Supplement). 11 April 1958. p. 2369.
174:(5 February 1913 – 24 January 1996) was a
39:
28:
652:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
559:(Supplement). 2 June 1944. p. 2692.
417:
324:Squadron Leader R A B Learoyd, VC. by
250:, and was regraded and confirmed as a
602:Contemporary article about the action
269:Operational from the outbreak of the
7:
647:British World War II bomber pilots
178:bomber pilot and recipient of the
25:
342:Air Ministry, 20th August, 1940.
234:on 18 May 1936. He was posted to
519:. 15 October 1940. p. 6020.
262:bomber. Learoyd was promoted to
637:Royal Air Force wing commanders
539:. 20 August 1940. p. 5090.
474:. 31 January 1939. p. 690.
296:William Rich (ventral gunner).
168:Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd
33:Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd
18:Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd
594:Location of grave and VC medal
1:
607:Imperial War Museum Interview
208:Wellington College, Berkshire
672:Military personnel from Kent
434:. 2 June 1936. p. 3526.
338:on 20 August 1940, reading:
226:Learoyd decided to join the
210:, Learoyd then attended the
642:British World War II pilots
454:. 4 May 1937. p. 2889.
328:(1940) (Art.IWM ART LD 412)
218:for two years as a farmer.
688:
485:Ashcroft, Michael (2012).
489:. Headline. p. 256.
38:
361:Learoyd was promoted to
310:Sir Robert Brooke-Popham
316:Victoria Cross citation
288:John Lewis (Observer),
632:People from Folkestone
388:Ingleton, Roy (2011).
365:by 1942. He served in
354:
329:
323:
266:on 23 December 1938.
111:Years of service
260:Handley Page Hampden
232:acting pilot officer
487:Heroes of the Skies
394:Pen and Sword Books
376:Imperial War Museum
294:Leading Aircraftman
214:. Learoyd lived in
137:No. 44 Squadron RAF
133:No. 49 Squadron RAF
576:The London Gazette
556:The London Gazette
536:The London Gazette
516:The London Gazette
471:The London Gazette
451:The London Gazette
431:The London Gazette
330:
275:flight lieutenant
162:
161:
16:(Redirected from
679:
581:
580:
567:
561:
560:
547:
541:
540:
527:
521:
520:
507:
501:
500:
482:
476:
475:
462:
456:
455:
442:
436:
435:
422:
407:
271:Second World War
147:Second World War
100:
77:
57:
55:
43:
29:
21:
687:
686:
682:
681:
680:
678:
677:
676:
612:
611:
590:
585:
584:
569:
568:
564:
549:
548:
544:
529:
528:
524:
509:
508:
504:
497:
484:
483:
479:
464:
463:
459:
444:
443:
439:
424:
423:
419:
414:
404:
387:
384:
367:No. 44 Squadron
363:squadron leader
359:
326:Eric Kennington
318:
248:RAF Worthy Down
236:No. 49 Squadron
228:Royal Air Force
224:
192:
176:Royal Air Force
135:
105:Royal Air Force
79:
75:
74:24 January 1996
59:
58:5 February 1913
53:
51:
34:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
685:
683:
675:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
644:
639:
634:
629:
624:
614:
613:
610:
609:
604:
599:
589:
588:External links
586:
583:
582:
562:
542:
522:
502:
496:978-0755363896
495:
477:
457:
437:
416:
415:
413:
410:
409:
408:
403:978-1848844094
402:
383:
380:
372:wing commander
358:
355:
335:London Gazette
317:
314:
264:flying officer
242:equipped with
240:Bomber Command
223:
220:
191:
188:
180:Victoria Cross
165:Wing Commander
160:
159:
157:Victoria Cross
154:
150:
149:
144:
140:
139:
130:
126:
125:
123:Wing commander
120:
116:
115:
112:
108:
107:
102:
96:
95:
94:United Kingdom
92:
88:
87:
78:(aged 82)
72:
68:
67:
49:
45:
44:
36:
35:
32:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
684:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
640:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
619:
617:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
597:(West Sussex)
595:
592:
591:
587:
578:
577:
572:
566:
563:
558:
557:
552:
546:
543:
538:
537:
532:
526:
523:
518:
517:
512:
506:
503:
498:
492:
488:
481:
478:
473:
472:
467:
461:
458:
453:
452:
447:
441:
438:
433:
432:
427:
421:
418:
411:
405:
399:
395:
391:
386:
385:
381:
379:
377:
373:
368:
364:
356:
353:
349:
346:
343:
339:
337:
336:
327:
322:
315:
313:
311:
305:
302:
299:Of the other
297:
295:
291:
287:
286:Pilot Officer
283:
278:
276:
272:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
252:pilot officer
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
221:
219:
217:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
189:
187:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
166:
158:
155:
151:
148:
145:
141:
138:
134:
131:
127:
124:
121:
117:
113:
109:
106:
103:
97:
93:
89:
86:
82:
73:
69:
66:
62:
50:
46:
42:
37:
30:
27:
19:
596:
574:
565:
554:
545:
534:
525:
514:
505:
486:
480:
469:
460:
449:
440:
429:
420:
389:
382:Bibliography
360:
357:Later career
350:
347:
344:
341:
333:
331:
306:
298:
279:
268:
244:Hawker Hinds
225:
193:
184:Commonwealth
167:
163:
143:Battles/wars
76:(1996-01-24)
26:
627:1996 deaths
622:1913 births
571:"No. 41360"
551:"No. 36549"
531:"No. 34927"
511:"No. 34970"
466:"No. 34594"
446:"No. 34394"
426:"No. 34290"
85:West Sussex
616:Categories
412:References
378:, London.
222:RAF career
196:Folkestone
190:Early life
91:Allegiance
81:Rustington
61:Folkestone
54:1913-02-05
216:Argentina
114:1936–1958
390:Kent VCs
301:Hampdens
290:Sergeant
256:Scampton
200:Baldslow
194:Born in
186:forces.
99:Service/
282:Münster
493:
400:
206:, and
204:Sussex
153:Awards
101:branch
491:ISBN
398:ISBN
129:Unit
119:Rank
71:Died
65:Kent
48:Born
246:at
618::
573:.
553:.
533:.
513:.
468:.
448:.
428:.
396:.
392:.
312:.
238:,
202:,
172:VC
170:,
83:,
63:,
499:.
406:.
56:)
52:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
