North-east Victoria Cross winning pilot presented with a long overdue medal - 75 years late!
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John Cruickshank VC, from Aberdeen who is 103 years old and who served in the Second World War as a pilot has received a long overdue medal to add to one of the most impressive racks of medals of anyone serving in that period.
He was presented with the Air Efficiency Award at his home earlier this week.
The Air Efficiency Award was awarded to many volunteers who served in the RAF’s two reserve contingents during the War, and later. However, the 75-year oversight that led to Cruickshank never being awarded the medal was only uncovered last month.
Flying Officer Cruickshank sustained 72 separate injuries while sinking a U-boat – an action that saw him awarded the Victoria Cross, the UK’s highest award for gallantry.
He is the last living recipient to have been awarded the VC during the Second World War.
The presentation of the medal to one of the RAF’s most highly decorated Volunteer Reserves, comes as the Royal Auxiliary Air Force marks its 100th anniversary.
He was the captain of a Catalina flying boat with 210 Squadron, flying submarine hunting missions from RAF Sulom Voe in Shetland.
On 17 July, 1944 on a patrol north into the Norwegian Sea to protect the British Home Fleet as it returned from an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz, Cruickshank and his crew spotted a German Type U-boat on the surface. Cruickshank dropped depth charges, sinking the U-boat, while four of his crew were injured, and his navigator killed, by German anti- aircraft fire. Two of Cruickshank’s 72 injuries were particularly life threatening but he managed to get the aircraft and his surviving crew members home and land safely.
It was late last year that Group Captain (retd) Bob Kemp of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force Foundation noticed that the Air Efficiency Award seemed to be missing from Cruickshank’s impressive medal “rack”. The medal, instituted in 1942, was awarded, uniquely, to individuals serving with the RAF Volunteer Reserve or Royal Auxiliary Air Force on completion of ten years’ efficient service. Service during the Second World War counted as treble.
Bob Kemp did his research establishing Cruickshank’s eligibility for the medal and sent his findings to the Medals Office which, after an appeal, confirmed that Cruickshank should have received the Air Efficiency Award more than 75 years ago. Fortunately, there were two medals with King George VI’s head on them left in stock, and one of those has now been awarded to John Cruickshank.
Presenting the long-overdue award, Group Captain (retd) Bob Kemp, said: “It is always a pleasure to meet John in Aberdeen, and I was delighted to be able to present him with his long overdue medal.
“John Cruickshank’s many honours and awards clearly distinguishes him as one of the thousands of RAF Reservists who have given so much in the service of this country.
“The RAF has a proud tradition of maritime patrol that they continue from Scotland to this day - a tradition exemplified by John Cruickshank and his generation.”
