Frank McNamara (RAAF officer)
Frank McNamara | |
---|---|
Air Vice Marshal | |
Unit | No. 1 Squadron AFC (1916–17) |
Commands held |
|
Battles/wars | World War I
World War II
|
Awards |
|
Other work | National Coal Board, UK (1947–57) |
Born and educated in
Early life
Born in Rushworth, Victoria, McNamara was the first of eight children to William Francis McNamara, a State Lands Department officer, and his wife Rosanna.[1][2] He began his schooling in Rushworth, and completed his secondary education at Shepparton Agricultural High School, which he had entered via a scholarship.[2][3] The family moved to Melbourne in 1910.[2]
McNamara joined the
World War I
Militia to Australian Flying Corps
As a militia officer, McNamara was mobilised for service in Australia when war was declared in August 1914.
Selected for flying training at Point Cook in August 1915, McNamara made his first solo flight in a
Completing his course at Upavon, McNamara was posted back to Egypt in August, but was hospitalised on 8 September with
Victoria Cross
On 20 March 1917, McNamara, flying a Martinsyde, was one of four No. 1 Squadron pilots taking part in a raid against a Turkish railway junction near Gaza. Owing to a shortage of bombs, the aircraft were each armed with six specially modified 4.5-inch howitzer shells.[13] McNamara had successfully dropped three of his shells when the fourth exploded prematurely, badly wounded him in the leg with shrapnel, an effect he likened to being "hit with a sledgehammer".[2][13] Having turned to head back to base, he spotted a fellow squadron member from the same mission, Captain Douglas Rutherford, on the ground beside his crashlanded B.E.2.[6][14] Allied airmen had been hacked to death by enemy troops in similar situations, and McNamara saw that a company of Turkish cavalry was fast approaching Rutherford's position.[14] Despite the rough terrain and the gash in his leg, McNamara landed near Rutherford in an attempt to rescue him.[9][13]
As there was no spare cockpit in the single-seat Martinsyde, the downed pilot jumped onto McNamara's wing and held the struts. McNamara crashed while attempting to take off because of the effects of his leg wound and Rutherford's weight overbalancing the aircraft. The two men, who had escaped further injury in the accident, set fire to the Martinsyde and dashed back to Rutherford's B.E.2. Rutherford repaired the engine while McNamara used his
Having effected what was described in the
Lt. Frank Hubert McNamara, Aus. Forces, R.F.C.
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during an aerial bomb attack upon a hostile construction train, when one of our pilots was forced to land behind the enemy's lines.
Lt. McNamara, observing this pilot's predicament and the fact that hostile cavalry were approaching, descended to his rescue. He did this under heavy rifle fire and in spite of the fact that he himself had been severely wounded in the thigh.
He landed about 200 yards from the damaged machine, the pilot of which climbed onto Lt. McNamara's machine, and an attempt was made to rise. Owing, however, to his disabled leg, Lt. McNamara was unable to keep his machine straight, and it turned over. The two officers, having extricated themselves, immediately set fire to the machine and made their way across to the damaged machine, which they succeeded in starting.
Finally Lt. McNamara, although weak from loss of blood, flew this machine back to the aerodrome, a distance of seventy miles, and thus completed his comrade's rescue.
Promoted to
Between the wars
Following the disbandment of the AFC, McNamara transferred to the
McNamara travelled to England in 1925 for two years exchange with the
World War II
When World War II broke out in September 1939, McNamara was serving as
McNamara was appointed AOC
Retirement and legacy
McNamara was summarily retired from the RAAF in 1946, along with several other senior commanders and veterans of World War I, officially to make way for the advancement of younger and equally capable officers. His role overseas had in any case become redundant.
Embittered by his dismissal from the RAAF and the meagre
Notes
- ^ a b c d Chisholm, Who's Who in Australia 1947, pp. 567–568
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Macklin, Bravest, pp. 84–93
- ^ a b c d e f Stephens and Isaacs, High Fliers, pp. 20–22
- ^ a b c d e f g h Air Vice Marshal Francis Hubert (Frank) McNamara Archived 13 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d Dennis et al., The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, p. 339
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Garrison, Australian Dictionary of Biography, pp. 348–349
- ^ a b Helson, Ten Years at the Top, p. 19
- ^ a b c d e f Air Vice Marshal Francis Hubert (Frank) McNamara: Timeline Archived 23 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Frank Hubert McNamara Archived 25 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine at The AIF Project Archived 11 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 9
- ^ "No. 29675". The London Gazette. 21 July 1916. p. 7219.
- ^ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, p. 32 Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e Wilson, The Brotherhood of Airmen, pp. 11–13
- ^ a b c d e f Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 14–15
- ^ a b Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, pp. 58–59 Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Recommendation for Immediate Award[permanent dead link] at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ Statement by Lieutenant Drummond[permanent dead link] at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ Statement by Lieutenant Ellis[permanent dead link] at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ Statement by Captain Rutherford Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ "No. 30122". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1917. pp. 5701–5703.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Macklin, Bravest, pp. 94–99
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, A Hero's Dilemma, pp. 54–55
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, p. 20
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 16 Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, A Hero's Dilemma, p. 68
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 712 Archived 7 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 34469". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1937. p. 8.
- ^ a b c Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 113 Archived 13 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 4 Archived 27 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 108–110 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 113–116 Archived 13 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 18–120 Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 529 Archived 19 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, A Hero's Dilemma, p. 92
- ^ a b Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 391 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Herington, Air Power Over Europe, p. 278 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 36866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1944. pp. 4–5.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark, A Hero's Dilemma, pp. 104–105
- ^ Helson, Ten Years at the Top, pp. 234–237
- ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 179–181
- ^ Bowyer, For Valour, p. 88
- ^ Cutlack, The Australian Flying Corps, p. 52 Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark, A Hero's Dilemma, pp. 114–115
- ^ Frank McNamara Park Archived 2 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine at Greater Shepparton Online Network. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ Edlington, David, ed. (5 December 2002). "Frontline distributions to Army for the 12 months to 30 June 2002". Army News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ Australian Defence Credit Union Limited Archived 21 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine at Abacus Australian Mutuals. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
References
- Bowyer, Chaz (2002) [1992]. For Valour: The Air VCs. London: Caxton. ISBN 1-84067-240-4.
- Chisholm, Alec H., ed. (1947). Who's Who in Australia 1947. Melbourne: The Herald and Weekly Times.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1991). The Third Brother: The Royal Australian Air Force 1921–39. North Sydney: ISBN 0-04-442307-1. Archived from the originalon 16 December 2013.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1997). McNamara VC: A Hero's Dilemma. Canberra: Air Power Studies Centre. ISBN 0-642-26500-3.
- Cutlack, F.M. (1941) [1923]. The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 (11th edition): Volume VIII – The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War, 1914–1918. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
- Dennis, Peter; ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2.
- Garrisson, A.D. (1986). "McNamara, Frank Hubert (Francis) (1894–1961)". Australian Dictionary of Biography: Volume 10. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
- Gillison, Douglas (1962). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume I – Royal Australian Air Force 1939–1942. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
- Helson, Peter (2006). Ten Years at the Top (PhD thesis). Sydney: OCLC 225531223.
- Herington, John (1963). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume IV – Air Power Over Europe 1944–1945. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
- Herington, John (1954). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Three (Air) Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939–1943. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.
- ISBN 978-1-74114-882-4.
- Stephens, Alan (2006) [2001]. The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555541-4.
- Stephens, Alan; Isaacs, Jeff (1996). High Fliers: Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force. Canberra: ISBN 0-644-45682-5.
- Wilson, David (2005). The Brotherhood of Airmen. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-333-0.