Bot at 02:49, 17 October 2022

2022-10-17T02:49:56Z

New page

{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}

{{Infobox military person
| name = Harry George Ernest Luchford
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1894|10|28}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1917|12|02|1894|10|28}}
| birth_place = [[Lucknow]], India
| death_place = [[Beselare|Becelaere]], Belgium
| placeofburial_label = Commemorated at
| placeofburial = [[Arras Flying Services Memorial]], Pas de Calais, France
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| nickname = "Huge"
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army
| serviceyears = 1914–1917
| rank = Captain
| unit = [[Royal Norfolk Regiment|Norfolk Regiment]]<br/>[[Royal Army Service Corps|Army Service Corps]]<br/>[[Royal Flying Corps]]
| commands =
| battles = World War I<br/>{{*}}[[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]
| awards = [[Military Cross]] [[Medal bar|& Bar]]
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Captain '''Harry George Ernest Luchford''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MC*}} (28 October 1894 – 2 December 1917) was an English [[World War I]] pilot credited with 24 victories. He was notable for scoring his first 11 victories in three months<ref name="theaerodrome">{{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/luchford.php |title=Harry George Ernest Luchford |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015 }}</ref> while piloting an obsolete double-seated [[Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2|FE.2]] [[pusher configuration|pusher]] aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/gbritain/raf_fe2.php |title=Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref><ref>Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p.89.</ref>

==Family background and early life==
His father George James Luchford (1868–1939) was born in [[Rochester, Kent]], and served in India as [[Quartermaster sergeant|Garrison Quartermaster Sergeant]] with the 1st Battalion, [[East Lancashire Regiment]]. There, in [[Colaba]], in 1894, he married Helena Elizabeth Hunnisett (1875–1946), born in [[Chatham, Kent]]. They had three sons: Harry George Ernest, born in [[Lucknow]], then Leonard Eustace (1896–1974) and Cyril Gordon (1898–1977), who were both born in [[Plumstead]].<ref name="SJones">{{cite web |url= http://www.stevenjones.me.uk/page499.html |title=The Luchford Family of Snodland, Kent |first=S. M.|last=Jones |work=stevenjones.me.uk |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref> Lieutenant Cyril G. Luchford of the 14th (Service) Battalion ([[Pioneer (military)|Pioneer]]s), [[Northumberland Fusiliers]], was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1919.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=31 December 1918 |supp=y |issue=31092 |page=27 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

==Military service==
When the war broke out in August 1914, Luchford was living with his family in [[Bromley, Kent]], and working as a clerk in [[Martins Bank|Martin's Bank]], [[Lombard Street, London|Lombard Street]]. He enlisted almost immediately in the Norfolk Regiment (later the [[Royal Norfolk Regiment]]),<ref name="FlightObit">{{cite journal |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1918/1918%20-%200489.html |title=Personals: Casualties |issue=488 |volume=X |page=487 |journal=[[Flight International|Flight]] |date=2 May 1918 |accessdate=18 May 2015 }}</ref> and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the [[Royal Army Service Corps|Army Service Corps]] on 26 September.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=25 September 1914 |supp=y |issue=28916 |page=7661 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He served in France attached to the Divisional Cavalry of the [[7th (Meerut) Division]] from December 1914 to January 1917,<ref name="FlightObit"/> receiving promotion to lieutenant on 1 August 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=8 October 1915 |supp=y |issue=29321 |page=9991 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and qualified as a pilot on 19 May 1917.<ref name="FlightObit"/><ref>Guttman & Dempsey (2009), pp.82–83.</ref>

===Flying service===
From May 1917, Luchford served as a pilot with No. 20 Squadron, flying the [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2|F.E.2d]]. He scored his first win on 13 June, with [[James Tennant (RFC officer)|James Tennant]] as his observer. On 29 June, in a mid-day clash with ''[[Jasta 8]]'', Luchford set an [[Albatros D.III]] afire.<ref>Guttman & Dempsey (2009), p.83.</ref> He then scored steadily throughout July, totting up seven more wins over enemy fighters that month. Luchford scored twice more in August, then changed mounts to the two-seater [[Bristol F.2 Fighter]].<ref name="theaerodrome"/> He was appointed a [[flight commander]] with the rank of captain on 11 September.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=12 October 1917 |supp=y |issue=30334 |page=10568 |nolink=yes}}</ref> Flying with a number of different observers such as [[Richard Hill (RAF officer)|Richard Hill]], [[Victor White (RAF officer)|Victor White]], and [[William Benger]], Luchford was credited with 13 more triumphs between 9 September and 21 October 1917.<ref name="theaerodrome"/>

His first award of the Military Cross was [[gazetted]] on 27 October,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=26 October 1917 |supp=y |issue=30355 |page=11109 |nolink=yes}}</ref> and his second on 26 November.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=23 November 1917 |supp=y |issue=30399 |page=12317 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He was [[killed in action]] by [[Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp]] on 2 December 1917.<ref name="theaerodrome"/> Having no known grave he is commemorated at the [[Arras Flying Services Memorial]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3076969/LUCHFORD,%20HARRY%20GEORGE%20ERNEST |title=Casualty Details: Luchford, Harry George Ernest |work=[[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref> and also at the Private Banks Cricket and Athletic Club, [[Catford]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://lewishamwarmemorials.wikidot.com/person:luchford-harry-george-ernest |first=Andy |last=Pepper |title=Luchford, Harry George Ernest, MC* |work=Lewisham War Memorials |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref>

==Awards and citations==
;Military Cross
:Temporary Lieutenant Harry George Ernest Luchford, General List and RFC.
::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has carried out a great deal of extremely useful work, and has proved himself a capable and determined leader. On one occasion when on a photographic reconnaissance he and his observer shot down and destroyed two enemy scouts. He has destroyed five other hostile machines."<ref>{{London Gazette |date=15 March 1918 |supp=y |issue=30583 |page=3427 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

;Bar to Military Cross
:Temporary Captain Harry George Ernest Luchford, MC, General List and RFC.
::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When engaged on a patrol, he and his observer encountered about fifteen hostile aeroplanes, and shot one of them down in flames. Later, when engaged on a reconnaissance with three other machines, he encountered eight hostile, aeroplanes and shot one of them down. On another occasion he destroyed one of three hostile scouts which were attacking one of our machines, and also shot down a hostile two-seater."<ref>{{London Gazette |date=5 April 1918 |supp=y |issue=30614 |page=4203 |nolink=yes}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |title=Pusher Aces of World War I |first1=Jon |last1=Guttman |first2=Harry |last2=Dempsey |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84603-417-6 |name-list-style=amp}}

==External links==
*{{cite web |url= http://www.medaldetector.co.uk/guest-pages/harry-luchford/ |title=Luchford, Harry |first=Keith |last=Wright |work=Medal Detector |year=2015 |accessdate=18 May 2015}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luchford, Harry G E}}
[[Category:1894 births]]
[[Category:1917 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Lucknow]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Royal Norfolk Regiment soldiers]]
[[Category:Royal Army Service Corps officers]]
[[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:British World War I flying aces]]
[[Category:British military personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]

Harry G. E. Luchford - Revision history

Bot at 02:49, 17 October 2022