Albert Ball, standing in front of his Nieuport 11. Albert Ball, VC, DSO & 2 Bars, MC (August 14 1896 - May 7 1917) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He was 20 years old, and a T/Captain in the Royal Flying Corps, and The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
From 26 April to 6 May 1917 flying over France, Captain Ball took part in 26 combats in the course of which he destroyed 11 hostile aircraft, brought down two out of control and forced several others to land. Flying alone, on one occasion he fought six hostile machines, twice he fought five and once four. When leading two other British planes he attacked an enemy formation of eight - on each of these occasions he brought down at least one enemy plane, and several times his plane was badly damaged. On returning with a damaged plane he had always to be restrained from immediately going out in another.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Sherwood Foresters Museum (The Castle, Nottingham, England).
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This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference (http://www.victoriacross.net) with permission.
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