Instituted in 1886 for
“Acts of gallantry by Military Officers for which a
Victoria Cross was not considered appropriate”.
During 1914 to 1916 some were awarded in conditions
that could not be considered under fire.
Many were awarded to Squadron Commanders for a long
period of leadership, but in some cases, it was awarded to
a Junior Officer for one operation.
Prior to 1943, the award could only be awarded to someone
who had been Mentioned in Dispatches”.
In 1942 the regulations were amended to allow the award
to be made to officers of the Merchant Navy for gallantry
in the presence of the enemy.
Total issued up to 1983
1291 plus 113 First Bars and 18 Second Bars
Over 300 DSO’s were awarded to New Zealanders
during both World Wars.
Description
The Cross is of gold, enamelled white, with gold edges.
Having on one side, in the centre,
within a wreath of Laurel enamelled green,
The Imperial Crown in Gold.
On the Reverse, within a similar wreath,
and upon a similar ground,
The Royal Cypher.
It hangs from its ribbon by a gold clasp
ornamented with Laurel.
While a similar clasp is worn at the top
of the ribbon.
The ribbon is 32mm wide
Membership is only open to commissioned officers
or their equivalents
W/C, A Deere,
DSO, OBE, DFC, & Bar,
12 December 1917 to 21 September 1995
Joined the RAF on 28 October 1937 and began training
At No 13 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School at
White Wiltham.
He was posted to No 74 Squadron for about a month before
Going to No 54 Squadron, both flying the last of the RAF Biplane
Fighters, the Gladiator.
The Squadron was upgraded to Spitfires in early 1940.
On 23rd May 1940 Deere and P/O Allen were tasked with
flying escort to F/L Leathart in a Miles Magister, tasked with
picking up 54 Squadrons CO, who had made a forced landing in
France.
Deere made his first combat victories destroying two Me 109’s,
later the same day he destroyed another Me 109.
On 24th May he claimed a Me 110 over Dunkirk and on the
16th May he added two more in the same area.
On the 28th May, he was shot down by a Do 17 that he was
attacking and landed on a Belgian Beach.
The landing knocked him out and he was pulled from the
cockpit by a passing soldier.
He made his way to Dunkirk and boarded a boat to Dover,
from where he caught a train back to London,
19 hours after his take off.
On 9th July 1940, he destroyed a Me 109 over the Channel,
then collided, head on, with another Me 109.
The propeller tips were bent back, the engine disabled,
and much of the Fin and Rudder were lost, he managed to glide
back to the coast near Manston where his forced landing
ended up against a stone wall.
Promoted to F/O on 28 July 1940 and on 11th August he
destroyed another Me 109, on the 12th August he added
two more Me 109’s and a Me110.
On the 15th August, he added another Me 109 over the
Channel, but was then trapped by other Me109’s that tried to
prevent his return to England.
Eventually, he was successful but was forced to Bail Out at
low altitude and was admitted to Victoria Hospital with
minor injuries.
He discharged himself the next day and returned to the Battle.
On the 28th August, he was shot down again, this time by a Spitfire.
On the 1st September Hornchurch was raided by the Luftwaffe
and Deere led a section of three Spitfire who tried to take off
during the raid.
A bomb blew Deere’s Spitfire onto its back, trapping him upside
down in the cockpit.
P/O Edsall, though badly injured when his aircraft had been
destroyed, crawled to Deere's aircraft and managed to free him.
Seeing Edsall’s injuries Deere then carried his rescuer to the
Station Hospital.
On 3rd September, due to the loss of pilots, the Squadron was
moved to Catterick to rest and recover.
While training replacement pilots in January 1941 one of the
Sergeant Pilots had a mid-air that resulted in most of Deere’s
tailplane being chewed off.
When bailing out Deere was trapped against his aircraft for a
while this damaged his parachute so that it failed to deploy properly
and he landed in the middle of an open sewerage area, which
broke his fall.
He was rested from active flying, promoted to Acting S/L and
posted as Operations Room Controller at Catterick.
While there he was honoured by having his portrait painted by
the Official War Artist Cuthbert Orde in February 1941.
Posted as Flight Commander to No 602 Squadron at Ayr on
7th May 1941, from where, on the 5th July, after suffering an
engine failure over the North Sea he managed to reach land
and crash on the coast.
Again the Spitfire flipped onto its back and he was forced to
crawl out the small door in the side.
Promoted to F/L on 28th October 1941, and sent to USA in
January 1942 on a PR and to teach US Pilots fighter tactics
learned in the Battle of Britain.
He returned to action on 1st May 1942, taking command of
No 403 RCAF Squadron at North Weald until August, when he
was sent to RAF Staff College and HQ 13 Group on Staff duties.
He managed to return to action as Supernumerary with
No 166 Squadron and destroyed a Fw 190 shortly after.
Posted as Wing Leader at Biggin Hill.
During the 6 months he was at Biggin Hill he lead 121 sorties
and added another 4 destroyed to his total.
Promoted to Temporary S/L on 14 June 1943.
On 15th September 1943, he was posted to Sutton Bridge to
command the Fighter Wing of the Central Gunnery School.
Posted to Command the Free French Fighter Wing in March
1944 and led them over the Beaches on D-Day.
When the wing moved to France he was posted to HQ 84 Group
as W/C Plans until July 1945 when he became Station
Commander Biggin Hill.
At the end of the war, he was given command of the Polish P51
[Mustang] Wing, and oversaw its disbandment in October 1945.
Promoted to a permanent commission as S/L on 1st September 1945
and CO Duxford.
He joined the Staff Officers at AHQ Malta, then HQ No 61 Group,
before becoming Operations Officer North- Eastern Sector,
at Linton On Ouse.
Promoted to W/C on 1st July 1951, and CO North Weald the
following year.
He was on the Directing Staff of the RAF Staff College in 1955.
Promoted to G/C on 1st January 1958, he published his
autobiography “Nine Lives” in 1959.
He was Aide-de-Camp to the Queen from 22nd March 1961 to
30th June 1964.
Appointed assistant Commandant of the RAF College Cranwell
on 3rd February 1963,
Took command of No 12 [East Anglican] Sector of Fighter
Command on 25th March 1964 and was promoted to Air Commodore
on 1st July 1964.
On 30th January 1965, he was given the honour of leading his
fellow Battle of Britain Fighter Pilots in the main Funeral
Cortege for Winston Churchill.
He took command of No 1 School of Technical Training at
Halton in 1966.
He was consulted for the 1969 film “Battle of Britain”
He retired from the RAF on 12th December 1967 and took
up the civilian position of Director of RAF Rugby, that expanded
to Director of RAF Sport.
The highlight of which was, while on the selection board,
having a team he had helped select, play the All Blacks at
Twickenham in 2010.
P/O, DFC on 12 June 1940, presented by HM King George V1
For his escort mission and the 2 destroyed
F/L, Bar to DFC on 6 September 1940 for continued skill,
and 11 kills
F/L, DSO on 4th June 1943 as Wing Leader Biggin Hill, for
exceptional skills, and 18 kills.
T S/L DFC [US] on 14th January 1944
S/L OBE on 1st June 1945
F/O, F H Denton, NZ 36238
DSO, DFC& Bar
25 March 1920 to
Joined RAF in January 1940
Flight Commander on 75 [NZ] Squadron under W/C Olson
CO No 487 [NZ] Squadron January 1945 to February 1945
Was involved in the attack on the Gestapo HQ in Denmark
on 31 October 1944.
The attack was so low that Mosquito PZ 332, flown by Denton,
struck the roof of the building, damaging the tail wheel.
The aircraft was scrapped on returning to England.
DFC
A W/C, Bar to DFC, on 1 Nov 1945 on 487 [NZ] Squadron
DSO 17 January 1945
Image Source
F/L Denton on the left
A W/C, J S Dinsdale,
DSO, DFC
24th April 1913 to
Enlisted in the RAF in August 1938 and transferred to the
RNZAF in January 1944
CO 489 [NZ] Squadron August 1943 to August 44
Posted to No 155 General Reconnaissance Squadron, Coastal
Command in August1944
DFC,
DSO on 30th June 1944 on 489 [NZ] Squadron
W/C S C Elworthy,
KG, GCB, CBE, DSO, LVO, DFC, AFC,
23 March 1911 to 4 April 1993
Joined the RAF on 15 January 1935, joined No 600 City Of
London Squadron while they were flying Hart Biplanes.
Posted to No 15 Squadron at Abington, still on Harts.
Promoted to F/O on 3 September 1936 and became PA to
Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt the Air Officer
Commanding in Chief of Bomber Command in November 1937.
Promoted to F/L on 3rd September 1938.
Posted to No 108 Squadron at Bassingbourn, flying Blenheims.
in January 1939.
Elevated to Flight Commander shortly after.
Promoted to Temporary S/L on 1 March 1940 and became
Chief Flying Instructor at No 13 Officer Training Unit in
April 1940.
Posted to Flight Commander on No 82 Squadron flying
Blenheims from Walton in August 1940.
During March, despite heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire he
scored a direct hit on an enemy tanker, setting it on fire.
Posted to Air Staff at HQ No 2 Group in May 1941 and promoted to
temporary W/C on 1st September 1941, he was Mentioned in
Dispatches on 24th September 1941.
Posted to Air Staff, Operations at HQ, Bomber Command in
October 1941, and promoted to Temporary G/C in May 1942.
Posted as CO RAF Waddington in April 1943, and in April 1944
he was posted as the Bomber Command’s Representative to
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who was Deputy
Commander Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force.
He was made Senior Air Staff Officer at No 5 Group in
August 1944, and while in this role was closely involved in
the sinking of the Tirpitz in November 1944.
After the war, he joined the staff of Central Bombing Establishment
at Marham.
He became Senior Air Staff Officer at No 2 Indian Group in March
1947, and the first CO of the Royal Pakistan Air Force Station,
Drig Road [now PAF Base Faisal] on 1st November 1947.
Attended Combined Staff College from May 1949 and promoted to
substantive G/C on 1st July 1949.
Followed by Deputy Director of Personnel at the Air Ministry in
December 1949.
CO Tangmere in December 1951 and Odiham in March 1953
Commander of the Metropolitan Sector in December 1953.
Promoted to Air Commodore on 1st January 1956, he attended the
Imperial Staff College in 1956 and became the Commandant of the
RAF Staff College in January 1957.
Promoted to Air Vice Marshall on 1st July 1957
He became the Deputy Chief of Air Staff and promoted to
Acting Air MarshallOn 15th November 1959,
This was made substantive on 1st July 1960.
He became Commander in Chief Middle East Command [Aden],
a newly formed command in March 1961.
Made Chief of Air Staff on 1st September 1963, and with Secretary
of State Dennis Healey, implemented the cancellation of the
TSR - 2 Strike Aircraft and the HS 681 Transport Aircraft programs.
Promoted to Marshall of the RAF on 1st April 1967 and Chief of Defence
Staff on 4 August 1967, in this role he oversaw the evacuation from Aden
In November 1967, and the crisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960’s
He retired in April 1971
Made a Life Peer as Baron Elworthy of Timaru, New Zealand and
Elworthy, in the County of Somerset on 9th May 1972.
Lord Lieutenant of Greater London in 1973
T S/L, AFC, on 1st January 1941
T S/L, DFC on 7th March 1941
T S/L DSO on 22nd April 1941 on 82 Squadron for March’s Action
T W/C MID 24th September 1941
G/C MID 1st January 1943
G/C MID 14th January 1944
G/C CBE on 1 January 1946
G/C LVO on 16th July 1953
A AM CB in January 1960
AM KCB in January 1962
KG on 23rd April 1977
S/L, M A Ensor,
DSO, DFC, & Bar,
5th January 1922 to
Joined the RNZAF on July 1940
On 15th November 1942, on No 500 Squadron, flying
Hudsons on Anti- Submarine patrol, off the North African
coast he went in to attack so low his own aircraft was wrecked.
When he dropped his depth Charge, it must have scored
a direct hit on the Submarine for it blew up just below
the surface.
The first he knew was when the Hudson shot up about 300 feet
like a rocket, after he had straightened the aeroplane up he realized
that the rudders and elevators had been blown off, the ailerons
damaged and about 6 feet of both wing tips bent upwards at
almost right angles.
He managed to fly back to Algiers, about 40 miles away.
The Hudson was behaving in a strange manner, the nose
would drop and the crew would all go the tail, this
would raise the nose so the crew would have to come
forward to try and level the aircraft.
When they reached the Bay the Port engine stopped
and the entire crew bailed out as fast as possible.
He landed in the sea and was picked up safely.
While still on No 500 Squadron as a F/O he damaged
U-458 on the 13th June 1943
"Attacked U-Boat with 4 depth charges after it submerged,
Damaged U-Boat surfaced and manned the machine guns
on the conning tower,
We shot them up with our guns until we ran out of Ammo,
leaving several dead and wounded, the U-Boat down at the
Bows and making little headway."
Bar to DFC, for the attack on a Submarine on 24th August 1941
67 operations with No 500 Squadron
47 operations with No 224 Squadron
DSO, on 16 February 1945 while on No 224 Squadron
S/L, AFC in June 1954
A S/L, W G Finlay,
DSO, DFC, & Bar,
Navigator
20th October 1917 to
Joined the RNZAF in September 1940
First tour of 33 operations in Wellingtons
Second tour of 104 operations in Mosquitos
Permanent commission to F/L 11th November 1948
DFC
Bar to DFC on October 1944
DSO 17 July 1945 on 109 Squadron
W/C T O Freeman, NZ 1026
DSO, DFC, & Bar,
5th June 1916 to 17 December 1943
Joined the RAF in 1936
Transferred to RNZAF in July 1939
Served on No 75 [NZ] Squadron
CO of No 115 Squadron from 14 August 1941 to 20 June 1942
at Mildenhall and East Wretham.
Director Air Operations
Wing Leader [No 15 & 18 Squadron RNZAF] from Ondonga
October 1943 and No 2 & 4 Servicing Units, and a tunnelling
and a sawmill detachment [on Arundel Island] also No 56 & 57
Radar Units at Munda and Rendova.
In November the NZ Wing flew more than 1,000 sorties and
created a record no other air unit has ever established.
Killed on Air Operations at Rabaul, New Britain South Pacific.
He left Ondonga on the 17th December 1943, refuelled at
Torokina, and assisted in shooting down 5 Japanese aircraft.
His damaged aircraft was seen attempting to land at
New Ireland, but no trace of him was ever found.
DSO on 23 February 1941 on 115 Sqn
For the second tour of operations
DSO Awards
Part 1 A to C
with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner