Group Captain
Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence.
Group cap ...
Gilbert Stuart Martin Insall, (14 May 1894 – 17 February 1972) was a British aviator and recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
subjects. He is the only person to have both won a Victoria Cross and escaped successfully from a German prisoner of war camp during the First World War.
First World War
Insall was commissioned as a
second lieutenant (on probation) in the
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...
on 14 March 1915, during the First World War. He was appointed a Flying Officer in the RFC on 16 July, and was confirmed in his rank from the same date.
Insall was 21 years old, and a second lieutenant in the
11 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps when he won the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
(VC).
On 7 November 1915 near
Achiet-le-Grand
Achiet-le-Grand () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Geography
A farming village located 12 miles (19 km) south of Arras, at the D7 and D9 road junction. The SNCF railway has a station here.
History
Achiet ...
, France, Second Lieutenant Insall, on patrol in
Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus No. 5074 with 1st Class Air Mechanic
T. H. Donald, engaged an
Aviatik
Automobil und Aviatik AG was a German aircraft manufacturer during World War I. The company was established at Mülhausen (today in France) in 1909 and soon became one of the country's leading producers of aircraft. It relocated to Freiburg in 1 ...
two-seater and forced the German pilot to make a rough landing in a ploughed field. Seeing the air crew scramble out and prepare to fire, Insall dived to 500 ft and his gunner opened fire, whereupon the Germans fled. After dropping an incendiary bomb on the downed German aircraft, Insall flew through heavy fire at 2000 ft over enemy trenches. The Vickers' petrol tank was hit, but Insall brought the plane 500 yards back inside Allied lines for an emergency landing. Insall and Donald stayed by the Gunbus through a bombardment of about 150 shells while awaiting nightfall. After dark, they then set to work by torch light to salvage their plane. After they repaired the machine overnight, Insall flew them back to base at dawn.
The announcement and accompanying citation for Insall's VC was published in a supplement to the ''
London Gazette
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
'' on 23 December 1915, reading:
Insall could not personally receive his VC in 1915, however; he and Donald had fallen wounded into captivity on 14 December 1915 after engaging
Hauptmann
() is an officer rank in the armies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is usually translated as ''captain''.
Background
While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has, and originally had, the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literall ...
Martin Zander
''Hauptmann'' Martin Zander was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.The Aerodrome website page on ZandeRetrieved 13 September 2020 He was appointed to command one of the original German fighter squadrons, ''Jagdstaffel 1'' ...
and his gunner. While in captivity, he was promoted to lieutenant, on 1 April 1916. Insall escaped on his third try, on 28 August 1917, and made it home over the Dutch border on 6 September.
His VC was presented by the King on 27 September 1917. He returned to duty as the
Flight Commander
A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common ...
of "A" Flight, 50 Squadron, with the temporary rank of captain, on 11 January 1918.
Royal Air Force career
After the war, Insall remained in the service, receiving a permanent commission as a
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in the newly formed Royal Air Force. On 1 August 1919; his rank was regraded to
Flight Lieutenant when the RAF adopted its new rank structure. He was promoted to
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Squadron leader is immediatel ...
on 1 November. On 16 December, he was awarded the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...
(MC) for gallantry in escaping from captivity as a POW during the war.
On a clear day in 1925, he spotted a strange formation of pits in the ground below him. He took a photograph, and from this one photograph came the rediscovery of the Bronze Age site now known as
Woodhenge
Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle monument within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is northeast of Stonehenge, in Durrington parish, just north of the town of Amesbury.
Discovery
Woodhen ...
two miles from Stonehenge (Crawford, Air-Photography for Archaeologists 1929). In 1929 he similarly discovered
Arminghall Henge.
Insall served in Southern Mesopotamia (Iraq) against the Akhwan in 1927–1928, for which he was
mentioned in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
and awarded the
General Service Medal (1918)
__NOTOC__
The General Service Medal (1918 GSM) was instituted to recognise service in minor Army and Royal Air Force operations for which no separate medal was intended. Local forces, including police, qualified for many of the clasps, as could ...
. As a Squadron Leader he was responsible for reforming
No 35 Sqn which stood up on 1 March 1929 and served as its first Commanding Officer for three months until June 1929. He was promoted to
Wing Commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.
Wing commander is immediately se ...
shortly after on 1 July 1929 and took up the post of Station Commander at
RAF Donibristle later that month. On 23 July 1932 he was appointed as Station Commander at
RAF Upavon
Royal Air Force Upavon, or more simply RAF Upavon, is a former Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was a grass airfield, military flight training school, and administrative headquarters of the Royal Air Force. The station opened ...
. On 15 May 1934 he moved to
RAF Kenley
Royal Air Force Kenley, more commonly known as RAF Kenley, is a former List of former Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and the Royal Air Force, RAF in the Second World War. It played a significa ...
, again filling the post of Station Commander. He was later promoted to
Group Captain
Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence.
Group cap ...
on 1 July 1935 and served overseas in the Middle East before returning to the UK in 1939 to fill the post of Officer Commanding No.3 RAF Depot at
RAF Padgate
Padgate is a suburb of the town of Warrington, in the civil parish of Poulton-with-Fearnhead, in the Warrington district, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England.
History
Overview
Historically part of Lancashire, until 1838 Padgate was ...
from 1 April 1939. He served at this rank throughout the Second World War in a number of posts and finally retired from RAF service on 30 July 1945.
Insall's headstone is in
Nocton
Nocton is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the B1202 road, south-east from Lincoln city centre. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 819. To the east ...
Churchyard,
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the
Royal Air Force Museum
The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. The museum is a non-departmental public body and is a registered charity. It has two public sites, Royal Air Force Museum London and Royal Air Fo ...
in
Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...
.
Further reading
* Insall, Tony (great-nephew): ''The Madness of Courage - The Exceptional Achievements of Gilbert Insall'', Biteback (2025);
Footnotes
External links
Location of grave and VC medal''(South Yorkshire)''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Insall, Gilbert
1894 births
1972 deaths
Military personnel from Paris
British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
Royal Flying Corps recipients of the Victoria Cross
Recipients of the Military Cross
Royal Air Force group captains
Royal Flying Corps officers
British Army personnel of World War I
Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
Aerial photographers
British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
Escapees from German detention
British World War I prisoners of war
World War I prisoners of war held by Germany