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Reginald Alexander John Warneford

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Reginald Alexander John Warneford Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
Death
17 Jun 1915 (aged 23)
Versailles, Departement des Yvelines, Île-de-France, France
Burial
West Brompton, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Greater London, England GPS-Latitude: 51.4847956, Longitude: -0.1905459
Plot
6E 35 x 22
Memorial ID
View Source
World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Comeytrowe, Taunton, Somerset, he served as a Flight Sub 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service. In actions over Ghent, Belgium, on June 7, 1915, Flight Sub Lieutenant Warneford was flying a Morane monoplane on a mission to locate German Zeppelins on bomb attacks. He spotted a Zeppelin and proceeded to chase the airship from the coast near Ostend. When his ship caught up to the Zeppelin, he dropped his bombs on it which destroyed and brought down the Zeppelin, but the explosion overturned his 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. Ten days later he was flying from Paris in a new plane, accompanied by an American reporter, when crashed the plane crashed for unknown reasons near Versailles, France. Both men were killed. For most prestigious gallantry, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Comeytrowe, Taunton, Somerset, he served as a Flight Sub 1st Lieutenant in the 1st Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service. In actions over Ghent, Belgium, on June 7, 1915, Flight Sub Lieutenant Warneford was flying a Morane monoplane on a mission to locate German Zeppelins on bomb attacks. He spotted a Zeppelin and proceeded to chase the airship from the coast near Ostend. When his ship caught up to the Zeppelin, he dropped his bombs on it which destroyed and brought down the Zeppelin, but the explosion overturned his 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. Ten days later he was flying from Paris in a new plane, accompanied by an American reporter, when crashed the plane crashed for unknown reasons near Versailles, France. Both men were killed. For most prestigious gallantry, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Jul 26, 2003
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7710919/reginald_alexander_john-warneford: accessed ), memorial page for Reginald Alexander John Warneford (15 Oct 1891–17 Jun 1915), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7710919, citing Brompton Cemetery, West Brompton, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Greater London, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.