Louis Strange
Encyclopedia
Louis Arbon Strange DSO
OBE
MC
DFC
(1891–1966) was an early English aviator
, World War I
and World War II
airman.
and was educated at St Edward's School Oxford
, joining the school's contingent of the Dorset Yeomanry
.
Strange spent his childhood at Tarrant Keynstone Mill on the River Stour
. His family farmed 600 acres (2.4 km²) at Spettisbury in Dorset.
He had seen military aircraft and the airship Beta flying over Dorset during the summer manoeuvres of 1912 when serving with the Dorsetshire Yeomanry and determined in May 1913 to become a pilot. He joined the Ewen School of flying at Hendon Aerodrome
in July and gained his Royal Aero Club
certificate, No. 575, on 5 August, immediately applying for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC).
Just after obtaining his licence he won his first cross-country race and then won the Hendon March Meeting 17 miles (27.4 km) race, beating his old instructor into second place.
In the latter part of 1913 and early 1914, Strange flew many hours from Hendon, instructing trainee pilots.
On 4 April 1914 he appeared in Flight
magazine as one of five pilots who had recently joined the 'Upside Down Club' by performing a 'loop
'.
at Upavon
Wiltshire
came in May, 1914. There he was retrained to fly B.E.2b and B.E.8
military aircraft. On 20 June he took part in a Hendon
-Birmingham-Manchester and return air race at the controls of an 80 hp Gnome
powered Bleriot
monoplane
, being first to arrive at Trafford Park Aerodrome (Manchester)
, where the Lord Mayor
of Manchester
greeted him. To reach Strange's hand, the man stood on a bracing wire to the landing gear, damaging it. On take-off to return south, the wire snapped, smashing the Bleriot's propellor and the machine was damaged, putting him out of the race.
Strange was formally commissioned as a second-lieutenant in The Dorsetshire Regiment on 30 July 1914 and, still on his flying course, remained on attachment to the Royal Flying Corps.
In August 1914 he was despatched to join his first operational unit, No.5 Squadron RFC, based at Gosport
Hants
. On 15/16 August - despite severe weather and a damaged longeron - he flew his Farman
aircraft via Dover
and over the English Channel
to Amiens
and then to the unit's new base at Maubeuge
France, being the last of the Squadron to arrive.
, France. He took off in his Farman aircraft with Lt. L. Penn-Gaskell as gunner in the front cockpit to intercept the patrolling German planes, but with inconclusive results as the laden aircraft would not climb above 3500 feet (1,066.8 m).
The next few days saw a general Allied retreat and the Squadron had to move base several times, whilst Strange and his fellow pilots continued their observation and light bombing sorties.
Less than two weeks after arriving in France Strange's inventive brain designed home-made petrol bombs that on 28 August he and his observer dropped by hand from their Henry Farman
biplane onto the convoys of German troops and transport north of St. Quentin; the results 'sent us home very well pleased with ourselves'.
In October 1914 Strange invented a safety strap allowing the observer of his Avro 504
to "stand up and fire all round over top of plane and behind". He also designed and fitted a machine gun mounting to the 504, consisting of a crossbar between the central struts over which was slung a rope, allowing the Lewis to be pulled up into a position from which the Observer, seating in the front cockpit, could fire backwards over Strange's head.
On 22 November 1914 it was with this arrangement that Strange claimed his first victory; with Lt F. Small as gunner, he attacked an Aviatik
two-seater and forced it down from over Armentières
to make a bumpy landing in a ploughed field just behind the British lines.
Strange next turned his talents to developing a bomb chute with Lieut. C. Rabagliati. Attempting to drop 7-pound shrapnel bombs through a steel tube set in the floor of the Avro 504, one bomb jammed in the tube and prompted a forced landing through a field of corn, which luckily ripped the detonator from the jammed bomb.
In early 1915 he was promoted to Captain and posted to No. 6 Squadron
as Flight Commander. He earned the Military Cross
by carrying out one of the first tactical bombing missions. He modified his BE-2c to carry four 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs on wing racks which could be released by pulling a cable fitted in the cockpit. He dropped these bombs on Courtrai railway station in March 1915, causing 75 casualties and closing the station for three days.
While with No 6 squadron, Strange was a compatriot of Captain Lanoe Hawker
. The Squadron became pioneers of many aspects in military aviation at the time, driven largely by the imagination of Strange and the engineering talents of Hawker. Their talents led to various mountings for Lewis machine guns, one of which won Hawker the Victoria Cross
, and one that nearly cost Strange his life.
Having equipped his Martinsyde S1 scout with a Lewis gun mounted on the top wing above the cockpit, on 10 May 1915 Strange sought out the enemy to try out the new arrangement and attacked a German Aviatik
two-seater. In order to change the empty drum on the Lewis, Strange had to stand up in the cockpit. Immediately the machine flipped on its back, throwing Strange from the cockpit and developing a flat spin downwards. Strange, hanging onto the ammo drum of the Lewis gun, managed to swing back into the cockpit and kick the stick over to right the aircraft 500 feet above the ground.
Strange later related ; I kept on kicking upwards behind me until at last I got one foot and then the other hooked inside the cockpit. Somehow I got the stick between my legs again, and jammed on full aileron and elevator; I do not know exactly what happened then, but the trick was done. The machine came over the right way up, and I fell off the top plane and into my seat with a bump.
He safely returned to base. He was criticised by his CO for 'causing unnecessary damage' to his instrument panel and seat in his efforts to regain the cockpit!
On 21 September 1915 Louis Strange was appointed to form and command No. 23 Squadron RFC at Gosport
, Hampshire. He was promoted to Major on 5 November, the day he married his wife, Marjorie. Due to appendicitis Strange handed over command in March 1916.
Strange then established No. 1 School of Air Gunnery at Hythe
in Kent. He was then promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and formed No. 2 School of Air Gunnery at Turnberry
. In April 1917 he became Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School
. On 26 June 1918 Strange was selected to command the newly-formed 80th Wing, RAF. During the next five months he was to be awarded both the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Distinguished Service Order
.
His DSO citation specifically mentions operations on 30 October 1918, when " he accompanied one of these raids against an aerodrome; watching the work of his machines, he waited until they had finished and then dropped his bombs from one hundred feet altitude on hangars that were undamaged; he then attacked troops and transport in the vicinity of the aerodrome. While thus engaged he saw eight Fokkers flying above him; at once he climbed and attacked them single-handed; having driven one down out of control he was fiercely engaged by the other seven, but he maintained the combat until rescued by a patrol of our scouts."
His Wing of Sopwith Camels, SE-5s, DH-9s and Bristol Fighters launched massed raids on the enemy airfields, reducing the effectiveness of German aerial response.
Between 1 July and 11 November the seven Squadrons under Strange's command (including Nos. 88, 92, 103, 2 AFC & 4 AFC) - the latter two of which were Australian - destroyed or drove 'down out of control' some 449 German aircraft, as well as 23 balloons.
In September 1918 Louis' younger brother Gilbert John Strange, a 7-kill ace and Captain in No.40 Squadron, was killed in action.
on the Isle of Purbeck
, and worked them over the next seven years, helping to restore his health. By the late 1920s he had become a director of the Spartan Aircraft Company
. Spartans flew in the high profile King's Cup Race
s of the early 1930s. During the 1930s, Strange flew many types of civil aircraft and was a director of Simmonds Aircraft Limited and the Whitney Straight Corporation. He also again competed in UK air races.
in the RAF Volunteer Reserve. He was posted to No. 24 Squadron, the RAF's only transport and communications services Squadron at that time.
On 21 May 1940 Strange arrived in Merville
in Northern France as 24 Squadron's Aerodrome Control Officer. The airfield had been evacuated by the RAF fighter squadron stationed there and 24 Squadron were tasked with saving what planes and equipment they could. Two fighters were patched up and flown back to England. All remaining Hurricane
s had been cannibalised, leaving one in flying condition. With no pilot available, Strange took off in an aircraft type he had never flown before, and with most of the instruments missing. Anti-aircraft fire forced Strange up to 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) and the lone fighter was then attacked by several Bf-109
s. Surprised by the sound of machine-gun fire, Strange dived the Hurricane to tree-top height and successfully escaped. On 11 June 1940, Louis Strange was awarded a bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross
.
On 21 June 1940, Squadron Leader Strange was appointed commanding officer of the newly created Central Landing School (CLS) at RAF Ringway
near Manchester. This unit was charged with the initiation, development and organisation of the UK's sole parachute training facility, and which later pioneered the parachute training curriculum of the Allied airborne forces. The unit was later redesignated No.1 Parachute Training School RAF
(PTS). Using the techniques developed under Strange, the PTS trained over 60,000 Allied personnel and paratroopers at Ringway between 1940 and 1946.
On 5 May 1941, the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
(MSFU) was established at RAF Speke near Liverpool, and Strange was appointed as commanding officer. The MSFU was charged with the development of the 'CAM Ship
' for the catapult-launching of Hawker Hurricanes for convoy defence. A catapult for training volunteer pilots was erected at the airfield. With insufficient aircraft carrier
s available, there was the so-called 'Air Gap' within which merchant shipping was out of reach of land-based aircraft on both sides of the Atlantic. As the predatory Focke-Wulf Fw 200
'Condors' could therefore operate with impunity, fighters launched by catapult from merchant ships were felt to be a potentially effective response. About 50 Hurricane Is were modified by General Aircraft for catapult launch and 35 merchantmen were configured to carry catapults, with the first Atlantic crossings in April 1941. The Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen (CAM) and their so-called 'Hurricats' soon proved their worth: Seven Condors were destroyed through 1941-43, while the deterrent effect was even more important.
In September 1941 he was posted as Commanding Officer, RAF Valley
, although illness prevented him from fulfilling the post. From August 1942 until the end of the year he served with Group HQ at Uxbridge
. Three months as Commanding Officer, RAF Hawkinge
followed before a transfer to No. 12 Group HQ as a supplementary Squadron Leader.
In December 1943 Strange was then posted to 46 Group as Wing Commander
, Operations. There he assisted in the planning for Operation Overlord
, landing in Normandy himself on 15 June. He had six airstrips under his control in the expanding beachhead as this time.
He was also responsible for the control and administration of a series of Temporary Staging Posts (TSP) supporting the Allied campaign. During the advance that followed the break-out from Normandy, Strange personally 'liberated' Château Lillois, 24 years after he had been the first to announce the departure of the Germans from there in 1918. In October 1944 Strange served with the HQ, 1st Allied Airborne Army.
He was also at SHAEF
Forward Headquarters in Reims
on 6–7 May 1945 to witness negotiations to the German surrender on all fronts.
He eventually reached the level of Wing Commander
and retiring from the service in June 1945. For his wartime contribution Strange was awarded the Order of the British Empire
and the American Bronze Star.
Taylorcraft Plus D light aircraft and flew it in the 1950 Daily Express Challenge Air Trophy at the age of 59, being the oldest of the 76 competitors. He continued to fly regularly and died peacefully in his sleep in 1966, aged 75.
In recognition of the high esteem in which he was held in the RAF and his important contribution to military aviation, the Squadron Briefing Room in the new No 23 Squadron Headquarters building, which was officially opened by the AOC in C Strike Command on 2 April 1997, has been named "The Strange Room".
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(1891–1966) was an early English aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airman.
Early life
Louis Strange was born in DorsetDorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and was educated at St Edward's School Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, joining the school's contingent of the Dorset Yeomanry
Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry
The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was founded as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry in 1794. In response to the growing threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars....
.
Strange spent his childhood at Tarrant Keynstone Mill on the River Stour
River Stour, Dorset
The River Stour is a 60.5 mile long river which flows through Wiltshire and Dorset in southern England, and drains into the English Channel. It is sometimes called the Dorset Stour to distinguish it from rivers of the same name...
. His family farmed 600 acres (2.4 km²) at Spettisbury in Dorset.
He had seen military aircraft and the airship Beta flying over Dorset during the summer manoeuvres of 1912 when serving with the Dorsetshire Yeomanry and determined in May 1913 to become a pilot. He joined the Ewen School of flying at Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
in July and gained his Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
certificate, No. 575, on 5 August, immediately applying for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC).
Just after obtaining his licence he won his first cross-country race and then won the Hendon March Meeting 17 miles (27.4 km) race, beating his old instructor into second place.
In the latter part of 1913 and early 1914, Strange flew many hours from Hendon, instructing trainee pilots.
On 4 April 1914 he appeared in Flight
Flight International
Flight International is a global aerospace weekly publication produced in the UK. Founded in 1909, it is the world's oldest continuously published aviation news magazine...
magazine as one of five pilots who had recently joined the 'Upside Down Club' by performing a 'loop
Aerobatic maneuver
Aerobatic maneuvers are flight paths putting aircraft in unusual attitudes, in air shows, dog fights or competition aerobatics. Aerobatics can be performed by a single aircraft or in formation with several others...
'.
RFC service
His posting to the sixth course of instruction at the RFC's Central Flying SchoolCentral Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
at Upavon
Upavon
Upavon is a rural village in the English County of Wiltshire, England. As its name suggests, it is on the upper portions of the River Avon which runs from the north to the south through the village. It is situated about south of Pewsey, about southeast of the market town of Devizes, and about ...
Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
came in May, 1914. There he was retrained to fly B.E.2b and B.E.8
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.8
|-See also:-References:*Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18. London:Putnam, 1957.*Bruce, J.M. The Aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps . London:Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0 370 30084 x....
military aircraft. On 20 June he took part in a Hendon
Hendon Aerodrome
Hendon Aerodrome was an aerodrome in Hendon, north London, England that, between 1908 and 1968, was an important centre for aviation.It was situated in Colindale, seven miles north west of Charing Cross. It nearly became "the Charing Cross of the UK's international air routes", but for the...
-Birmingham-Manchester and return air race at the controls of an 80 hp Gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
powered Bleriot
Blériot Aéronautique
Blériot Aéronautique was a French aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot. It also made a few cyclecars from 1921 to 1922.After Louis Blériot became famous for being the first to fly over the English Channel in 1909, he established an aircraft manufacturing company. This company really took...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
, being first to arrive at Trafford Park Aerodrome (Manchester)
Trafford Park Aerodrome (Manchester)
Trafford Park Aerodrome was the first purpose-built airfield in the Manchester area. Its large all-grass landing field was just south of the Manchester Ship Canal between Trafford Park Road, Moseley Road and Ashburton Road and occupied a large part of the former deer park of Trafford Hall...
, where the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.-Commonwealth of Nations:* In Australia it is a political position. Australian cities with Lord Mayors: Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Perth, Sydney, and Wollongong...
of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
greeted him. To reach Strange's hand, the man stood on a bracing wire to the landing gear, damaging it. On take-off to return south, the wire snapped, smashing the Bleriot's propellor and the machine was damaged, putting him out of the race.
Strange was formally commissioned as a second-lieutenant in The Dorsetshire Regiment on 30 July 1914 and, still on his flying course, remained on attachment to the Royal Flying Corps.
In August 1914 he was despatched to join his first operational unit, No.5 Squadron RFC, based at Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
Hants
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. On 15/16 August - despite severe weather and a damaged longeron - he flew his Farman
Farman
Farman Aviation Works was an aeronautic enterprise founded and run by the brothers; Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aerospace industry, Farman's assets were...
aircraft via Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
and over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
and then to the unit's new base at Maubeuge
Maubeuge
Maubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...
France, being the last of the Squadron to arrive.
Aerial combat and bombing pioneer
Strange soon adapted his Farman to carry a Lewis machine gun, improvising a mounting to the top of the Observer's nacelle. His first armed encounter with the enemy came on 22 August when six enemy aircraft appeared at 5,000 feet over the airfield at MaubeugeMaubeuge
Maubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...
, France. He took off in his Farman aircraft with Lt. L. Penn-Gaskell as gunner in the front cockpit to intercept the patrolling German planes, but with inconclusive results as the laden aircraft would not climb above 3500 feet (1,066.8 m).
The next few days saw a general Allied retreat and the Squadron had to move base several times, whilst Strange and his fellow pilots continued their observation and light bombing sorties.
Less than two weeks after arriving in France Strange's inventive brain designed home-made petrol bombs that on 28 August he and his observer dropped by hand from their Henry Farman
Henry Farman
Henri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
biplane onto the convoys of German troops and transport north of St. Quentin; the results 'sent us home very well pleased with ourselves'.
In October 1914 Strange invented a safety strap allowing the observer of his Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
to "stand up and fire all round over top of plane and behind". He also designed and fitted a machine gun mounting to the 504, consisting of a crossbar between the central struts over which was slung a rope, allowing the Lewis to be pulled up into a position from which the Observer, seating in the front cockpit, could fire backwards over Strange's head.
On 22 November 1914 it was with this arrangement that Strange claimed his first victory; with Lt F. Small as gunner, he attacked an Aviatik
Aviatik
Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen in 1910 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft, relocating to Freiburg in 1914 and establishing a subsidiary in Vienna as Österreichisch-Ungarische...
two-seater and forced it down from over Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
to make a bumpy landing in a ploughed field just behind the British lines.
Strange next turned his talents to developing a bomb chute with Lieut. C. Rabagliati. Attempting to drop 7-pound shrapnel bombs through a steel tube set in the floor of the Avro 504, one bomb jammed in the tube and prompted a forced landing through a field of corn, which luckily ripped the detonator from the jammed bomb.
In early 1915 he was promoted to Captain and posted to No. 6 Squadron
No. 6 Squadron RAF
No. 6 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 at RAF Leuchars.It was previously equipped with the Jaguar GR.3 in the close air support and tactical reconnaissance roles, and was based at RAF Coltishall, Norfolk until April 2006, moving to RAF Coningsby until...
as Flight Commander. He earned the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
by carrying out one of the first tactical bombing missions. He modified his BE-2c to carry four 20 lb (9.1 kg) bombs on wing racks which could be released by pulling a cable fitted in the cockpit. He dropped these bombs on Courtrai railway station in March 1915, causing 75 casualties and closing the station for three days.
While with No 6 squadron, Strange was a compatriot of Captain Lanoe Hawker
Lanoe Hawker
Lanoe George Hawker VC, DSO was a British flying ace, with seven credited victories, during the First World War. He was the first British flying ace, and the third pilot to receive the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded...
. The Squadron became pioneers of many aspects in military aviation at the time, driven largely by the imagination of Strange and the engineering talents of Hawker. Their talents led to various mountings for Lewis machine guns, one of which won Hawker the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, and one that nearly cost Strange his life.
Having equipped his Martinsyde S1 scout with a Lewis gun mounted on the top wing above the cockpit, on 10 May 1915 Strange sought out the enemy to try out the new arrangement and attacked a German Aviatik
Aviatik
Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen in 1910 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft, relocating to Freiburg in 1914 and establishing a subsidiary in Vienna as Österreichisch-Ungarische...
two-seater. In order to change the empty drum on the Lewis, Strange had to stand up in the cockpit. Immediately the machine flipped on its back, throwing Strange from the cockpit and developing a flat spin downwards. Strange, hanging onto the ammo drum of the Lewis gun, managed to swing back into the cockpit and kick the stick over to right the aircraft 500 feet above the ground.
Strange later related ; I kept on kicking upwards behind me until at last I got one foot and then the other hooked inside the cockpit. Somehow I got the stick between my legs again, and jammed on full aileron and elevator; I do not know exactly what happened then, but the trick was done. The machine came over the right way up, and I fell off the top plane and into my seat with a bump.
He safely returned to base. He was criticised by his CO for 'causing unnecessary damage' to his instrument panel and seat in his efforts to regain the cockpit!
On 21 September 1915 Louis Strange was appointed to form and command No. 23 Squadron RFC at Gosport
Gosport
Gosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
, Hampshire. He was promoted to Major on 5 November, the day he married his wife, Marjorie. Due to appendicitis Strange handed over command in March 1916.
Strange then established No. 1 School of Air Gunnery at Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
in Kent. He was then promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and formed No. 2 School of Air Gunnery at Turnberry
Turnberry
Turnberry is a golf resort on the coast of the outer Firth of Clyde in southwestern Scotland. Located in South Ayrshire on the rugged coast, it comprises three links golf courses, a golf academy, a five-star hotel, designed by James Miller and completed in 1906, as well as lodge and cottage...
. In April 1917 he became Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
. On 26 June 1918 Strange was selected to command the newly-formed 80th Wing, RAF. During the next five months he was to be awarded both the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
.
His DSO citation specifically mentions operations on 30 October 1918, when " he accompanied one of these raids against an aerodrome; watching the work of his machines, he waited until they had finished and then dropped his bombs from one hundred feet altitude on hangars that were undamaged; he then attacked troops and transport in the vicinity of the aerodrome. While thus engaged he saw eight Fokkers flying above him; at once he climbed and attacked them single-handed; having driven one down out of control he was fiercely engaged by the other seven, but he maintained the combat until rescued by a patrol of our scouts."
His Wing of Sopwith Camels, SE-5s, DH-9s and Bristol Fighters launched massed raids on the enemy airfields, reducing the effectiveness of German aerial response.
Between 1 July and 11 November the seven Squadrons under Strange's command (including Nos. 88, 92, 103, 2 AFC & 4 AFC) - the latter two of which were Australian - destroyed or drove 'down out of control' some 449 German aircraft, as well as 23 balloons.
In September 1918 Louis' younger brother Gilbert John Strange, a 7-kill ace and Captain in No.40 Squadron, was killed in action.
Between the wars
Strange retired from the Service through ill health (sciatica) in 1921. He bought 1300 acres (5.3 km²) of farmland at Worth MatraversWorth Matravers
Worth Matravers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is situated on the cliffs west of Swanage. It comprises limestone cottages and farm houses and is built around a pond, which is a regular feature on postcards of the Isle of Purbeck.The civil parish stretches...
on the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well...
, and worked them over the next seven years, helping to restore his health. By the late 1920s he had become a director of the Spartan Aircraft Company
Spartan Aircraft Company
The Spartan Aircraft Company was an American aircraft manufacturing company formerly known as Mid-Continent Aircraft Company and reorganized under the Spartan name in 1928 by oil baron William G. Skelly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The manufacturing plant was on Sheridan Avenue near the Tulsa Municipal...
. Spartans flew in the high profile King's Cup Race
King's Cup Race
The King's Cup Race is an annual British handicapped cross-country air race, first contested on 8 September 1922. The event was open to British pilots only, but that did include members of the Commonwealth....
s of the early 1930s. During the 1930s, Strange flew many types of civil aircraft and was a director of Simmonds Aircraft Limited and the Whitney Straight Corporation. He also again competed in UK air races.
RAF service in World War Two
Too old for a Regular Commission, in 1940 Strange returned to service as a 50 year-old Pilot OfficerPilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
in the RAF Volunteer Reserve. He was posted to No. 24 Squadron, the RAF's only transport and communications services Squadron at that time.
On 21 May 1940 Strange arrived in Merville
Merville, Nord
-References:*...
in Northern France as 24 Squadron's Aerodrome Control Officer. The airfield had been evacuated by the RAF fighter squadron stationed there and 24 Squadron were tasked with saving what planes and equipment they could. Two fighters were patched up and flown back to England. All remaining Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s had been cannibalised, leaving one in flying condition. With no pilot available, Strange took off in an aircraft type he had never flown before, and with most of the instruments missing. Anti-aircraft fire forced Strange up to 8000 feet (2,438.4 m) and the lone fighter was then attacked by several Bf-109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s. Surprised by the sound of machine-gun fire, Strange dived the Hurricane to tree-top height and successfully escaped. On 11 June 1940, Louis Strange was awarded a bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
.
On 21 June 1940, Squadron Leader Strange was appointed commanding officer of the newly created Central Landing School (CLS) at RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway, was a Royal Air Force station near Manchester, UK, in the parish of Ringway, then in Cheshire. It was operational from 1939 until 1957.-Prewar years:...
near Manchester. This unit was charged with the initiation, development and organisation of the UK's sole parachute training facility, and which later pioneered the parachute training curriculum of the Allied airborne forces. The unit was later redesignated No.1 Parachute Training School RAF
No.1 Parachute Training School RAF
No.1 Parachute Training School RAF is a Royal Air Force training unit that was initially based at RAF Ringway, now Manchester Airport and is currently based at RAF Brize Norton. It was formed at Ringway on 21 June 1940 as the Central Landing School and from 1 October 1940 it was designated as the...
(PTS). Using the techniques developed under Strange, the PTS trained over 60,000 Allied personnel and paratroopers at Ringway between 1940 and 1946.
On 5 May 1941, the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
Merchant Ship Fighter Unit
The Merchant Ship Fighter Unit was a Royal Air Force operational aircraft unit based at RAF Speke during World War II. The aircraft operated by the MSFU were Hawker Sea Hurricanes. These planes were operated from 35 merchant ships outfitted with a catapult on the bow, referred to as Catapult...
(MSFU) was established at RAF Speke near Liverpool, and Strange was appointed as commanding officer. The MSFU was charged with the development of the 'CAM Ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
' for the catapult-launching of Hawker Hurricanes for convoy defence. A catapult for training volunteer pilots was erected at the airfield. With insufficient aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s available, there was the so-called 'Air Gap' within which merchant shipping was out of reach of land-based aircraft on both sides of the Atlantic. As the predatory Focke-Wulf Fw 200
Focke-Wulf Fw 200
The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, also known as Kurier to the Allies was a German all-metal four-engine monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner...
'Condors' could therefore operate with impunity, fighters launched by catapult from merchant ships were felt to be a potentially effective response. About 50 Hurricane Is were modified by General Aircraft for catapult launch and 35 merchantmen were configured to carry catapults, with the first Atlantic crossings in April 1941. The Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen (CAM) and their so-called 'Hurricats' soon proved their worth: Seven Condors were destroyed through 1941-43, while the deterrent effect was even more important.
In September 1941 he was posted as Commanding Officer, RAF Valley
RAF Valley
RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
, although illness prevented him from fulfilling the post. From August 1942 until the end of the year he served with Group HQ at Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
. Three months as Commanding Officer, RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
followed before a transfer to No. 12 Group HQ as a supplementary Squadron Leader.
In December 1943 Strange was then posted to 46 Group as Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, Operations. There he assisted in the planning for Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, landing in Normandy himself on 15 June. He had six airstrips under his control in the expanding beachhead as this time.
He was also responsible for the control and administration of a series of Temporary Staging Posts (TSP) supporting the Allied campaign. During the advance that followed the break-out from Normandy, Strange personally 'liberated' Château Lillois, 24 years after he had been the first to announce the departure of the Germans from there in 1918. In October 1944 Strange served with the HQ, 1st Allied Airborne Army.
He was also at SHAEF
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
Forward Headquarters in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
on 6–7 May 1945 to witness negotiations to the German surrender on all fronts.
He eventually reached the level of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
and retiring from the service in June 1945. For his wartime contribution Strange was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and the American Bronze Star.
Postwar civil aviation
He returned to farming but continued his links with civil aviation. He bought an AusterAuster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
Taylorcraft Plus D light aircraft and flew it in the 1950 Daily Express Challenge Air Trophy at the age of 59, being the oldest of the 76 competitors. He continued to fly regularly and died peacefully in his sleep in 1966, aged 75.
In recognition of the high esteem in which he was held in the RAF and his important contribution to military aviation, the Squadron Briefing Room in the new No 23 Squadron Headquarters building, which was officially opened by the AOC in C Strike Command on 2 April 1997, has been named "The Strange Room".