Thomas Francis Netterville Gerrard

Name:

Thomas Francis Netterville "Teddy" Gerrard

Country:

Ireland

Rank:

Major

Service:

Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Air Force

Units:

1N, A (RNAS)
208, 209, 256 (RAF)

Victories:

Born:

13 August 1897

Place of Birth:

Kuala-Kubu, Selangor, Malaya

Died:

14 July 1923

Place of Death:

Mosul, Iraq

The son of Dr. Percy Netterville and Alice Edith (Scott) Gerrard, Thomas Francis Netterville Gerrard joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1914. He was confirmed in the rank of Flight Sub-Lieutenant on 21 November 1914 and received Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate 1180 on a Bristol biplane at Royal Naval Air Station, Hendon on 11 April 1915. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 1 January 1916. He was again promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 1 January 1921. Gerrard was with 1 Squadron, RAF, in Iraq for 5 months prior to his death in a polo accident at Mosul. He fell from his horse and died from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried at the RAF cemetery in Baghdad.

Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950

Daily Mirror, London, 1917

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Flt. Cdr. Thomas Francis Netterville Gerrard, R.N.A.S.
   In recognition of his services during an air fight on the 4th June, 1917. This officer led his flight against 15-20 hostile aeroplanes, and alone had ten engagements with these machines.
   He attacked one, and fired sixty rounds into its cockpit at point-blank range, the enemy machine rolling over and over for 3,000 feet, and then falling vertically out of control.
   He then attacked another enemy machine which had dived on to one of our machines from behind, and with the help of a Scout he shot it down, the enemy being seen to crash to the ground.
   Another hostile scout was then attacked by pilot, end-on, and received a long burst at very close range, the enemy going down in a spin, but apparently righting himself lower down.
   During this last encounter Flt. Cdr. Gerrard's machine was riddled with bullets, but, by fine piloting, he landed safely, although all but his lateral controls were shot away and his machine damaged to such an extent as to require return to Depot for complete rebuilding.
   This officer has now destroyed at least seven hostile aircraft. He was on active service in France and Belgium from April to September, 1916, and during that period performed much valuable work.

Supplement to the London Gazette, 20 July 1917 (30194/7425)

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	08 Jul 1916	1405	A	Nieuport Scout (3889)	Fokker E (OOC)	Near Ostend
2	14 Apr 1917	0820	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	EA (OOC)	Epinoy
3	24 Apr 1917	1115	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (DES)	Noyelles
4	24 Apr 1917	1120	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (OOC)	S of Wancourt
5	29 Apr 1917	1110	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (OOC)	Epinoy
6	19 May 1917	1945	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (OOC)	Henin-Lietard
7	04 Jun 1917	0750	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (OOC)	Moorslede-Menin
8	04 Jun 1917	0800	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N5440)	Albatros D.III (DES) ¹	Moorslede-Menin
9	07 Jun 1917	0600	1N	Sopwith Triplane (N6291)	Albatros D.III (DES)	Ypres
10	06 Apr 1918	1130	208	Sopwith Camel (B7196)	Fokker DR.I (OOC) ²	Lens

1	Shared with Capt Philip Fullard
2	Shared with Lt Gerald Cooper, Lt Wilfred Sneath

Aces · Aircraft · Books · Forum · Help · Medals · Search · Today