NEW HALL OF FAMERS

Having a bit of an aviation blog "session" at the mo', so time for a Hall of Fame update.  Two additions, one from each World War, and both should need no introduction but a few words on each would be appropriate, I think.

Captain Albert Ball VC, DSO(2 bars), MC: from the "first lot", transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from the Sherwood Foresters having earlier paid for his own flying training getting this done in the early morning before military duties (having had an engineering interest from an early age).  Although rated an average pilot during training he rose to become one of the top Allied aces of the First World War.  He was killed in action on the evening of 7th May 1917, Lothar von Richtofen (the Red Baron's brother) being credited with shooting him down by the Germans but this is unlikely, it being more probable that Ball crashed after becoming disoriented during the dogfight after flying into a thundercloud.  His final tally was 43 aircraft and one balloon destroyed and several unconfirmed "kills".

Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO, DFC: came from a somewhat atypical background, his parents separating when he was only six years old and his mother subsequently a victim of alcoholism. Albert Ball was his boyhood hero. Having initially been rejected by the RAF (possibly for having legs too short!!) he was accepted in November 1936, and, after learning to fly under civilian instructors, he commenced his RAF career in early 1937.  The rest, as they say, is history.  He became arguably the most famous bomber pilot of the Second World War, leading the Dams Raid (Operation "Chastise") in May 1943 (after previously completing 3 tours of operations; interestingly, the middle of these on night fighters with 5 confirmed "kills") and was later killed in action flying a pathfinder De Havilland Mosquito on 19 September 1944.  Having read a bit about him he sounds a somewhat intense sort of character that I, personally, would have had difficulties getting on with (as did a number of his contemporaries) but that is common to many high achievers and he certainly deserves his place here.