| Douglas Rivers Bagnall | |
|---|---|
|
File:Douglas Rivers Bagnall Photograph.jpg Bagnall outside his tent in North Africa in 1942 | |
| Born | 23 September 1918[1] |
| Died | 2001 |
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Place of death | Hereford |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1938–1965[1] |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Service number | 40790 |
| Commands held | No. 40 Squadron RAF (1943)[1] |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) |
Wing Commander Douglas Rivers Bagnall DSO DFC (September 23, 1918 – 2001) led a number of successful Vickers Wellington operations in support of Allied forces in Sicily, Italy and the North African desert during World War II.[1]
Early life and education
Douglas Rivers Bagnall was born in Auckland, New Zealand to Alfred Ernest Bagnall and Henrietta[2] and was educated at King's Preparatory School and King's College, Auckland before reading commerce at Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington.[1]
Career
Bagnall trained for the RAF as a pilot and was commissioned in 1938. In March 1943, aged 24, he was promoted to wing commander with No. 40 Squadron RAF which flew Vickers Wellington bombers.[1] He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his part in an attack on marshalling yards at Battipaglia in 1943[3] and the American Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944.[4]
Personal life
He married Caroline Welham in 1945.[1] He retired in 1965 as a wing commander and died in Hereford in 2001.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Wing Commander Douglas Bagnall" (in en-GB). 2001-01-03. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1312909/Wing-Commander-Douglas-Bagnall.html.
- ↑ "Douglas Bagnall - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage". MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com/names/douglas_bagnall.
- ↑ "Distinguished Service Order". 1943-11-02. pp. 4813. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/files/documents/vc-citations/lloyd-trigg-vc.pdf. "One night in September, 1943, Wing Commander Bagnall participated in an attack on the marshalling yards at Battipaglia and his accurate bombing was a feature of his praiseworthy efforts. This officer has rendered magnificent service"
- ↑ "Distinguished Flying Cross". 1944-01-18. pp. 359. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36335/supplement/359/data.pdf.
- ↑ "Life Events (BMDs), World, R Bagnall". https://search.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/search/world-records/life-events-bmds?firstname=r&firstname_variants=true&lastname=bagnall&o=eventyear&page=5.
The original article can be found at Douglas Rivers Bagnall and the edit history here.