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Home , Lionel Rees, Victoria Cross

The Rees Cross

he , , Air others then attacked him at long range, but Force Cross and campaign medals these he dispersed on coming to close quar- T awarded to Lionel ters, after seriously damaging two of the Rees VC, OBE, MC, AFC, and machines. Seeing two others going westwards, 32 Squadron, , have been he gave chase to them, but on coming nearer acquired by the Trust, the he was wounded in the thigh, causing him to holding institution for the Lord Ashcroft VC lose temporary control of his machine. He Collection. The VC group of medals are dis- soon righted it, and immediately closed with played in the ’s Lord the enemy, firing at a close-contact range of Ashcroft Gallery and form part of the perma- only a few yards, until all his ammunition was nent display of over 230 Victoria and George used up. He then returned home, landing his Crosses. machine safely in our lines. After retiring from the in was invested with his Victoria 1931 Lionel Rees donated his Victoria Cross Cross by King at medal group, sword and aiguillettes to the on 16 December 1916. College with the hope they could be dis- played. He rejoined the RAF in the Second London Gazette, 29 October 1915, For the World War and served in the campaign in award of the Military Cross, Captain Lionel North Africa. The value of the collection has Wilmot Brabazon Rees, No. 11 Squadron, meant that their display at the College has Royal Flying Corps not been possible for many years and there For conspicuous gallantry and skill on is no prospect of this situation changing. The several occasions, notably the following: medals can now be seen by the hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to what is, in On 21 , when flying a machine effect, the national collection of medals for with one machine gun, accompanied by a Flight Sergeant Hargreaves, he sighted a extraordinary bravery. Lionel Rees (B 1898–1901) Group Captain Rees’s name will continue large German biplane with two machine guns to be commemorated at the College with two passed up the chain of command until it even- 2,000 feet below him. He spiralled down and Rees bursaries being awarded in his name tually reached the desk of Major General Hugh dived at the enemy, who having the faster and an appropriate space in the Project 150 Trenchard, GOC Royal Flying Corps in France. machine, manoeuvred to get him broadside on development dedicated to him. He amended the recommendation ‘I am of the and then opened fire. In spite of this Captain opinion that Major Rees’ action is well worthy Rees pressed his attack and apparently suc- of a higher reward and he should be granted ceeded in hitting the enemy’s engine, for the The actions and the awards a VC’. Sir Douglas Haig concurred and on 7 machine made a quick turn, glided some dis- Almost before Rees had landed after his a letter was sent to the HQ Royal tance and finally fell just inside the German combat, witness reports were coming in that Flying Corps. lines near Herbecourt. a single Vickers FB5 Gunbus had appeared to The medals now on display at the Imperial War Museum have completely broken up a raid of 8 to 10 hostile aircraft. The following day, a recom- mendation was put forward that Rees be awarded a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his action. This was

Rees’s letter when he donated his medals to the College

London Gazette, 5 , On 28 July 1915, he attacked and drove Captain (Temp Major) Lionel Wilmot down a hostile monoplane in spite of the fact Brabazon Rees, Royal Regiment of that the main spar of his machine had been Artillery & No. 32 Squadron, Royal shot through and the rear spar shattered. Flying Corps On 31 , accompanied by Flight Sergeant Hargreaves, he fought a German For conspicuous gallantry and machine more powerful than his own for devotion to duty Double Cras- three-quarters of an hour, then returned for sieurs, France. more ammunition and went out to attack Whilst on flying duties, Major again, finally bringing the enemy’s machine Rees sighted what he thought to down apparently wrecked. be a bombing party of our own London Gazette, 2 , For the machines returning home. He award of the Air Force Cross, went up to escort them, but on Colonel Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees, No. 1 getting nearer discovered they School of Aerial Flying, Ayr, Scotland were a party of enemy machines, about ten in all. Major Rees was For duties as a flying instructor immediately attacked by one of Lionel Rees died at the Princess Margaret the machines, and after a short Hospital, Nassau, Bahamas, on 28 September encounter it disappeared behind 1955 and was buried in the Commonwealth the enemy lines, damaged. Five War Graves Cemetery, Nassau. 13