Major Richard Burnard Munday was an English

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

credited with scoring nine aerial victories during World War I. He was notable for scoring Britain's first night victory; he also excelled as a

balloon buster Balloon busters were military pilots known for destroying enemy observation balloons. These pilots were noted for their fearlessness, as balloons were stationary targets able to receive heavy defenses, from the ground and the air. Seventy-seven fl ...

at the rare feat of shooting down enemy

observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for gathering intelligence and spotting artillery. The use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World ...

s at night.

Early life

Richard Burnard Munday was born in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

, England on 31 January 1896. He was the eldest son of Major General and Mrs. R. C. Munday of Port Royal, Plymouth.

World War I

Details of Munday's entry into military service are unknown. However, on 16 February 1915 he lost his probationary status as his rank of

flight sub-lieutenant Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior 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. Flying officer is immediately ...

in the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

was confirmed, and on the same day he was awarded

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

Aviator's Certificate No. 1085. He had trained in a

Maurice Farman Maurice Alain Farman (21 March 1877 – 25 February 1964) was a British-French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer. Biography Born in Paris to English parents, he and his brothers Richard an ...

biplane at the military flight school at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

. Having completed his pilot's training, he began his aviation duties. He was slightly wounded on 28 December 1915, though details are unknown. Munday served as an instructor at

Cranwell Cranwell is a village in the civil parish of Cranwell, Brauncewell and Byard's Leap, in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated approximately north-west from Sleaford and south-east from Lincoln. The principal ...

during 1916; one of his pupils was Leonard Henry Rochford.Shores ''et.al.'' (1990), p. 287. Munday was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 April 1916. He was appointed an acting-

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 ...

on 3 December 1916. On 26 April 1917, ''Flight'' magazine reported that Munday had been accidentally injured in the line of duty. His first aerial success came on 18 August 1917. His second through sixth victories were over

observation balloons An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for gathering intelligence and spotting artillery. The use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World ...

; most unusually, Munday downed enemy balloons at night, scoring Britain's first night victory in the process. By 21 February 1918, his victory tally had reached nine. His valour earned Munday the Distinguished Service Cross,

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

on 16 March 1918: On 20 September 1918, he was also awarded the Belgian ''

Croix de guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

''.

List of aerial victories

Post World War I

Munday remained in service postwar. On 1 August 1919, in the Royal Air Force revamping, Munday was granted a permanent commission in the rank of major. Munday was reassigned from occupation duty with the

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

in Germany when posted to the RAF Depot, Inland Region, back in England, on 16 January 1922. He was then assigned to the Headquarters of the

Coastal Area A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

on 1 February. On 11 December 1922 Munday was posted to the Seaplane Training School (Coastal Area) as a supernumerary officer, then on 29 April 1923 he was posted to

RAF Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan district with borough status in Hampshire, England. At the 2021 Census, the town had a population of 70,131 and the district had a population of 81,952. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the west ...

to join No. 422 Flight. On 27 May 1925,

Secretary of State for Air The Secretary of State for Air was a secretary of state position in the British government that existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretary of State for Air was supported by ...

Samuel Hoare recommended the award of the Air Force Cross to Munday; the recommendation read: On 3 June 1925, Munday was awarded the Air Force Cross as a sixtieth birthday honour from

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

. On 1 January 1927, he was promoted from flight lieutenant 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 ...

. Richard Burnard Munday married Marie Jose de Reul of

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

in her native city on 26 April 1930. On 8 May 1930 he was again posted to Headquarters, Coastal Area. On 5 May 1932, Squadron Leader Munday retired from the Royal Air Force due to ill health. He died on 11 July 1932.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Munday, Richard Burnard 1896 births 1932 deaths Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I Royal Air Force officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) British recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium)