Dakota VC

Flt.Lt. David Lord was Transport Command's Sole VC Winner

Aug 20, 2009 Murray McLeod

David Lord had an active career with Transport Command; in the Middle East, Burma and in the airborne assault at Arnhem, where he carried out a valiant supply mission.

While the transport pilot never received the plaudits accorded the dashing Spitfire or Mosquito pilot he was nonetheless obliged to share similar hazards. Flying in slow, unarmed aircraft he was forced to run the gauntlet of flak and hostile fighters in all theatres of war. Fl/Lt. David Lord, an experienced DC2 and DC3 captain was awarded the sole Transport Command VC while serving in the United Kingdom with 271squadron.

Iraq Rebellion

Lord qualified as a pilot in 1939 and was posted to India where he joined No.31 transport squadron. In 1941 a crisis arose in Iraq, where with German assistance a local politician seized power. At the time there were a number of British civilians resident at Habbinaya who were placed in a threatening situation with this latest development. Just prior to this, No.31 had transferred to the area from their Indian base. It became imperative that the civilian population be evacuated to the safety of Basra. The squadron’s equipment was a mix of Douglas DC2s and archaic Vickers Valentia biplanes; and in a series of tension-packed flights the civilians were evacuated. During these operations several DC2s and Valentias were lost to interception from Me109 fighters. Lord suffered such a fate when his DC2 was shot down; and in the forced landing he managed to escape serious injury.

Burma Evacuation

With Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941 the squadron was transferred to Burma and once again it was involved in a rescue operation. Rangoon was besieged and about to fall, making the evacuation of civilians and wounded an absolute priority. This was successfully carried out, together with similar operations over the ensuing weeks. During the retreat from Burma a total of 86,000 men, women and children were brought out by air. As the Allies went back on the offensive 31 squadron was heavily involved in supply drops in support of guerrilla operations behind enemy lines.

The celebrated General Wingate’s Chindit forces were sustained in this manner as they waged their own private war against an implacable enemy. During the campaign Lord built up his total hours in DC2s and Dakotas to an impressive 2,500 hours. He was later commissioned and awarded the DFC.

Operation Market Garden

In January 1944 Lord was transferred to the United Kingdom where he joined No.271 squadron based at Worthy Down. With the move came a further promotion to flight lieutenant. Following the D-Day landings in June 1944 and the subsequent breakout from Normandy; Paris was liberated, clearing the way for Allied forces to fight their way through Belgium and Holland to the Rhine and into Germany. General Montgomery proposed an assault by airborne forces to seize the vital bridges at Arnhem, and if the operation proved successful there could be a possible end to the war by December 1944. Allied Intelligence was of the opinion that the German garrison in the area were mainly elderly reservists who would be more than happy to see an end to hostilities.

A massive assault force, involving both glider and paratroops was despatched on 18 September and almost immediately the operation ran into trouble. Firstly with inclement weather and more drastically the bulk of the force was dropped in the vicinity of a panzer armoured division that happened to be refitting in the area.

The Germans reacted aggressively to the invasion, inflicting grievous losses on the paratroops. Instead of the expected success, the battle for the bridges became a struggle for survival. Short of ammunition and facing an untenable situation, the encircled paratroops could only be sustained with airdrops of supplies and ammunition.

On 19 September Lord was engaged in a supply mission that involved a passage through a most accurate flak barrage. On his approach to the Drop Zone his Dakota was fatally hit and set ablaze. He chose to press on regardless and drop the supplies, remaining with the stricken aircraft to enable his crew to bale out safely. Only one managed to escape and as he descended he watched the Dakota crash in flames, taking with it the gallant pilot. Lord’s sacrifice was recognised with the award of a posthumous V.C.

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David Lord