Albert Ball VC, DSO & 2 Bars, MC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BORN: 14^th August, 1896, Lenton, Nottingham.

32, Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, Nottingham. After a series of moves to houses throughout Lenton, his family settled at 43, Lenton Road, in a home known as Sedgley.

His father was Sir Albert Ball, a successful businessman, later Lord Mayor of Nottingham. In his youth, Albert had his own small hut behind the family house where he tinkered with engines and electrical equipment. He was raised with knowledge of firearms, and conducted target practice in Sedgley's gardens.

Albert studied at The King's School, Grantham, and Nottingham High School, before transferring to Trent College at the age of fourteen, where he stayed until 1913. He showed only average academic ability, but certainly had a curiosity for things mechanical. His best subjects were carpentry, modelling, violin, and photography.

During his time at Trent College, he also served in the Officers Training Corps. When Albert graduated at the age of seventeen, there were two options after he left college. His father staked him to a start in business at Universal Engineering Works, in a building next door to the family home, and the other he began work at the Universal Engineering Works on Castle Boulevard, Nottingham.

 

 

SERVED: 7^th Robin Hood Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, and the Royal Flying Corps.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Albert enlisted in the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). By October 1914, he was ranked Sergeant, and later that month gained his commission as a Second Lieutenant assigned to training recruits. This was a role he did not like.

Later, he transferred to the North Midland Cyclist Company Divisional Mounted Troops in an attempt to see action, but remained in England.

While still in the Cyclist Company, Albert decided to take private flying lessons at Hendon, where his interest in engineering could find an outlet, and possibly help him to see action in France sooner. In June 1915, he paid his own way to undertake pilot training in his own time, at the Ruffy-Baumann School, which charged up to £100 for instruction. He would wake early to get in some flying at dawn, before beginning his daily military duty at 6.45.  Albert was considered an average pilot at best, but he did qualify for Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 1898 on 15 October, 1915, and promptly requested transfer to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).

Albert was seconded to No. 9 (Reserve) Squadron RFC on 23 October, 1915, for further training at Mousehold Heath near Norwich.

In the first week of December, he soloed in a Maurice Farman Longhorn after standing duty all night, and his touchdown was rough.

When his instructor commented sarcastically on the landing, Albert apparently lost his temper, and angrily told his instructor that he had only fifteen minutes experience in the plane, and that if this was the best instruction he was going to get, he would rather return to his old unit.

The instructor relented, and Ball then soloed again and landed successfully on five consecutive flights. This rough landing was not the last Ball was involved in, however. He survived two others, including one at 120 miles per hour.

On completing his training at Central Flying School, he was awarded his wings on 26 January, 1916. He was officially seconded from the North Midland Cyclist Company to the RFC as a pilot on 29 January, 1916. In February, he joined No. 13 Squadron RFC at Marieux in France, flying reconnaissance missions before being posted in May to No. 11 Squadron, a fighter unit.

From May 1916, until his return to England on leave in October, Ball accrued many aerial victories, earning two Distinguished Service Orders and the Military Cross. He became the first fighter ace in England to capture the public's imagination.

 He was posted to No. 56 Squadron, which deployed to the Western Front on 7 April. Ball continued his record of victories before his final flight on 7 May, when he crashed to his death in a field in France, while pursuing the Red Baron's brother, Lothar von Richthofen. He managed to force von Richthofen to the ground, but soon after emerged from a cloud bank upside down and impacted the ground before he could recover. He did not die immediately, but lived long enough to be pulled from the aircraft by a local girl.

 

DATE OF GAZETTE: 8^th June, 1917.

V.C. CITATION: For most conspicuous and consistent bravery from the 25th of April to the 6th of May, 1917, during which period Capt. Ball took part in twenty-six combats in the air and destroyed eleven hostile aeroplanes, drove down two out of control, and forced several others to land.

In these combats Capt. Ball, flying alone, on one occasion fought six hostile machines, twice he fought five and once four. When leading two other British aeroplanes he attacked an enemy formation of eight. On each of these occasions he brought down at least one enemy.

Several times his aeroplane was badly damaged, once so seriously that but for the most delicate handling his machine would have collapsed, as nearly all the control wires had been shot away. On returning with a damaged machine he had always to be restrained from immediately going out on another.

In all, Capt. Ball has destroyed forty-three German aeroplanes and one balloon, and has always displayed most exceptional courage, determination and skill.

Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

For conspicuous gallantry and skill. Observing seven enemy machines in formation, he immediately attacked one of them and shot it down at 15 yards range. The remaining machines retired. Immediately afterwards, seeing five more hostile machines, he attacked one at about 10 yards range and shot it down, flames coming out of the fuselage. He then attacked another of the machines, which had been firing at him, and shot it down into a village, where it landed on top of a house. He then went to the nearest aerodrome for more ammunition and, returning, attacked three more machines, causing them to dive out of control. Being then short of petrol he came home. His own machine was badly shot about in these fights. Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 September 1916 ^[

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Bar

For conspicuous skill and gallantry. When on escort duty to a bombing raid he saw four enemy machines in formation. He dived on to them and broke up their formation, and then shot down the nearest one, which fell on its nose. He came down to about 500 feet to make certain it was wrecked. On another occasion, observing 12 enemy machines in formation, he dived in among them, and fired a drum into the nearest machine, which went down out of control. Several more hostile machines then approached, and he fired three more drums at them, driving down another out of control. He then returned, crossing the lines at a low altitude, with his machine very much damaged.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 26 September, 1916.

 Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Bar

For conspicuous gallantry in action. He attacked three hostile machines and brought one down, displaying great courage and skill. He has brought down eight hostile machines in a short period, and has forced many others to land.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 25 November, 1916.

Military Cross (MC)

For conspicuous skill and gallantry on many occasions, notably when, after failing to destroy an enemy kite balloon with bombs, he returned for a fresh supply, went back and brought it down in flames. He has done great execution among enemy aeroplanes. On one occasion he attacked six in one flight, forced down two and drove the others off. This occurred several miles over the enemy's lines.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 27 July, 1916.

 

DIED: 7^th May, 1917.

It was only at the end of May that the Germans dropped messages behind Allied lines announcing that Ball was dead, and had been buried with full military honours.

 

At the time of his death, he was the leading Allied ace with forty-four victories, and second only to Manfred von Richthofen (“The Red Baron') among all First World War aces. He remained the United Kingdom's fourth highest-scorer, behind Edward Mannock, James McCudden, and George McElroy.

 Albert Ball was posthumously promoted to Captain on 15 June, 1917. 

BURIED: Annoeullin Communal Cemetery, German Extension, France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are several memorials to Ball around Nottingham, including a statue and a plaque in the grounds of Nottingham Castle; the statue was dedicated in September, 1921.

His Victoria Cross is displayed inside the castle along with other Ball memorabilia at the Sherwood Foresters Museum. A memorial to Ball, along with his parents and sister, appears on the exterior wall of the southwest corner of Holy Trinity Church in Lenton.

In 1967, the Albert Ball VC Scholarships were instituted at his alma mater, Trent College. The dining hall at Trent College features the propeller from one of his aircraft, mounted on one wall, with a plaque describing his achievements.

In 1999, a school in Annoeullin was, upon its inception, named in honour of Albert Ball, the choice of so naming the school having been made by the children themselves. One of the houses at Nottingham High School Junior School, is also named after Ball.

His father, Albert Ball, Sr., bought the French field where his son had died, and erected a plain memorial stone on the crash site with the following inscription:-

"IN LOVING MEMORY OF CAPTAIN ALBERT BALL VC, DSO TWO BARS, MC, CROIX DE CHEVALIER LEGION D'HONNEUR, ORDER OF SAINT GEORGE RUSSIA, HON FREEMAN OF THE CITY OF NOTTINGHAM ONE OF ENGLAND'S FAMOUS AIRMEN WHO FELL ON THIS SPOT/ FIGHTING GLORIOUSLY MAY 7th 1917 AGED 20 YEARS."

On the back of the column appear the words:-

"THIS PLOT OF LAND IS GIVEN FOR THE FREE USE OF FRENCH SOLDIERS BY SIR ALBERT BALL ON CONDITION THAT THIS STONE IS PROTECTED"

Nottingham High School is now the Guardian of the memorial

 

Medal Entitlement

 Victoria Cross

 DSO & 2 Bars

MC

1914 - 1915 Star

British War Medal 1914 – 1920

Victory Medal 1914-1920 & MiD Oakleaf

Knight, Legion of Honour 5th Class France

Order of St George 4th Class Russia