David Samuel Anthony Lord

Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Unit: No. 271 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded: 18th September 1945
Nationality: British

The citation in the London Gazette of 9th November 1945 gives the following details:

Flight Lieutenant Lord was pilot and captain of a Dakota aircraft detailed to drop supplies at Arnhem on the afternoon of the 19th September, 1944. Our airborne troops had been surrounded and were being pressed into a small area defended by a large number of anti-aircraft guns. Air crews were warned that intense opposition would be met over the dropping zone. To ensure accuracy they were ordered to fly at 900 feet when dropping their containers. While flying at 1,500 feet near Arnhem the starboard wing of Flight Lieutenant Lord's aircraft was twice .hit by anti-aircraft fire. The starboard engine was set on fire. He would have been justified in leaving the main stream of supply aircraft and continuing at the same height or even abandoning his aircraft. But on learning that his crew were uninjured and that the dropping zone would be reached in three minutes he said he would complete his mission, as the troops were in dire need of supplies. By now the starboard engine was burning furiously. Flight Lieutenant Lord came down to 900 feet, where he was singled out for the concentrated fire of all the antiaircraft guns. On reaching the dropping zone he kept the aircraft on a straight and level course while supplies were dropped. At the end of the run, he was told that two containers remained. Although he must have known that the collapse of the starboard wing could not be long delayed, Flight Lieutenant Lord circled, rejoined the stream of aircraft and made a second run to drop the remaining supplies. These manoeuvres took eight minutes in all, the aircraft being continuously under heavy anti-aircraft fire. His task completed, Flight Lieutenant Lord ordered his crew to abandon the Dakota, making no attempt himself to leave the aircraft, which was down to 500 feet. A few seconds later, the starboard wing collapsed and the aircraft fell in flames. There was only one survivor, who was flung out while assisting other members of the crew to put on their parachutes. By continuing his mission in a damaged and burning aircraft, descending to drop the supplies accurately, returning to the dropping zone a second time and, finally, remaining at the controls to- give his crew a chance of escape, Flight Lieutenant Lord displayed supreme valour and self-sacrifice.

Additional Information

Also awarded a DFC.
Lord was born in Cork, Ireland, the son of a Warrant Officer in the Royal Welsh Fuisiliers.
The family moved to India after WW1 where Lord was educated this was due to Lord’s father’s posting with the Army.
After returning back to the UK, Lord went to Spain to study for the priesthood.
Deciding the priesthood was not for him he travelled to London where he worked as a freelance writer.
Lord joined the RAF in 1936.
Lord served in the Middle and Far East before returning to the UK and took part in the liberation of France on 6th June.
Lord is remembered on at least two memorials and has had two aircraft named after him.

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