Mick Mannock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mick Mannock
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Mannock in his flying kit, c. 1917
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| Nickname(s) | "Mick" |
| Born | 24 May 1887 Unconfirmed, Britain or Ireland |
| Died | 26 July 1918 (aged 31) Calonne-sur-la-Lys, France |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1911–1918 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | No. 40 Squadron RFC |
| Commands held | No. 74 Squadron RAF No. 85 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars Military Cross & Bar |
Edward Corringham "Mick" Mannock VC, DSO & Two Bars, MC & Bar (born May 24, 1887 – died July 26, 1918) was a very brave British and Irish flying ace. He flew for the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during World War I. Mick Mannock was a pioneer in how fighter planes should fight in the sky.
By the time he died, he had shot down 61 enemy aircraft. This made him the fifth highest scoring pilot of the entire war. Mannock received many top awards for his bravery. These included the Military Cross (twice), the Distinguished Service Order (three times), and the Victoria Cross (given after his death).
Mannock was born in 1887. His father was English, and his mother was Irish. His family moved to India when he was a child. He was often sick when he was young. When he returned to England, he strongly supported Irish nationalism. This was a movement for Ireland to govern itself. He also joined the Independent Labour Party, a political group.
In 1914, Mannock was working in Turkey as a telephone engineer. When the Ottoman Empire joined the war against Britain, he was held as a prisoner. He was treated badly and became very ill. The Turkish authorities sent him back to Britain. They thought he was too sick to fight.
Mannock got better and joined the British Army. He first joined the Royal Engineers and then the Royal Army Medical Corps. In 1916, he joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). After his training, he went to No. 40 Squadron RFC. He fought on the Western Front in three tours of duty. After a slow start, he became an amazing pilot. He got his first victory on May 7, 1917.
By February 1918, Mannock had 16 victories. He became a Flight Commander in No. 74 Squadron. He achieved 36 more victories between April and June 1918. After a break, Mannock became the leader of No. 85 Squadron in July 1918. He got nine more victories that month. Just days after he warned another pilot about flying too low, Mannock himself was shot down. He was killed in action on July 26, 1918, while fighting too close to the ground.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Edward Mannock was born on May 24, 1887. His parents were Julia and Edward Mannock. Edward was the youngest of three children. His father, Edward senior, came from a rich family. His grandfather was a newspaper editor. His uncle, George Mannock, was friends with the British Royal Family.
Edward senior was a soldier in the British Army. He fought bravely in the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. In 1887, the Mannock family moved to Cork, Ireland. Some people believe Mick Mannock was born there. Others say he was born in Brighton, England.
In 1893, Edward senior rejoined the army. The family moved to Meerut, India, when Mick was five. Soon after arriving, Mick got malaria. He was very lucky to survive.
Young Mannock loved sports like cricket and football. He did not like hunting animals. He kept birds and rabbits as pets. As he got older, he enjoyed fishing. Mannock also liked target shooting with an air gun. He was a talented violin player and could play other instruments too.
When the Boer War started, his father went to fight in South Africa. The family stayed in India. After the war, they moved to Canterbury, England. Two months later, his father left the family. He took their money with him.
Edward went to St. Thomas' school. He worked odd jobs to help his family. After school, he joined his brother at the National Telephone Company. The office work made him sick after three years. He then transferred to the engineering department. In 1911, Mannock moved to Wellingborough, England, for his new job.
Mannock joined the Territorial Army around this time. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). He wanted to stay in touch with his friends from Canterbury. He was promoted to sergeant in 1913.
Mannock became interested in politics through his local cricket club. He became a political activist. He believed in socialist ideas. He was the Secretary of the Wellingborough Independent Labour Party in 1912. He supported the British Empire but also the Irish Home Rule movement. This movement wanted Ireland to have its own government.
In 1914, Mannock got a passport. He described himself as a telephone mechanic. In February 1914, he left Wellingborough. He sailed to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in Turkey. He took a job at the Ottoman Telephone Exchange.
As war approached in 1914, Mannock noticed changes. The Turkish people became unfriendly towards the British. In October 1914, Turkey joined the war with Germany and Austria-Hungary. As an enemy citizen, Mannock was held as a prisoner.
He was not fed well and became very sick in prison. He had dysentery and was kept in a small cell. He managed to escape his cell one night. He found a way to get food from the Turkish Army stores. One night, he was caught. He was locked in a small concrete box for two weeks. He was close to death. He was sent back to Britain on April 1, 1915. During the two-month journey, he got malaria again. He survived and reached England.
Joining the War Effort
Royal Engineers and Royal Army Medical Corps
On May 22, 1915, Mannock joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). By July, he was well enough to serve as a sergeant. He was assigned to a field ambulance unit. He found it hard to care for German wounded soldiers.
Mannock felt that his fellow soldiers lacked enthusiasm for the war. He complained about their half-hearted training. He wanted to leave the RAMC. He asked to transfer to the Royal Engineers (RE) as an officer. He waited for months. His rank went from sergeant to sergeant-major. Finally, in March 1916, he was allowed to transfer.
Mannock worried that his background would be a disadvantage in the RE. Most officers were well-educated and from higher social classes. He worked very hard to overcome this. He disliked his peers who seemed more interested in uniforms than the war. Mannock wanted to leave the RE again. But he knew leaving a second time would hurt his chances of becoming an officer.
A friend suggested he join the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Mannock was unsure at first. He worried about his age and health. He also thought his past transfers might make him seem unreliable. He read all the newspapers he could about the air war. He was inspired by articles about Albert Ball, a famous fighter pilot. In June, Mannock was promoted to second lieutenant. On August 14, 1916, he started his flight training.
Royal Flying Corps Training
Mannock's training began right away. He learned about shooting guns from planes, fixing aircraft, reading maps, and how planes fly. He did very well in his studies. He then went to Hendon for basic flying lessons. On November 28, 1916, he got his pilot's certificate.
On December 5, he moved to Hounslow for more training. He flew the Henry Farman plane. After that, he went to gunnery school. Then he went to Joyce Green for advanced training. His instructor, Captain Chapman, said Mannock learned to fly very quickly. He could make the plane do whatever he wanted.
At Joyce Green, Mannock met Captain James McCudden. McCudden taught Mannock how to fight in the air. He taught him about team tactics and how to use the plane to attack. McCudden described Mannock as an "impetuous young Irishman." He thought Mannock was the type of person who would "do or die."
Mannock was older than most of his fellow pilots. He had seen the harsh realities of war. This made him seem serious to others. He was usually quiet but could talk well. He was patient and helped others, but he could also get angry quickly. He trained very hard to become the best pilot he could be.
First Battles
Mannock arrived in France on March 31, 1917. He joined 40 Squadron near Aire. He did not make a good first impression. On his first night, he sat in a chair that belonged to a pilot who had died that day. He also asked about other pilots' scores and gave his own opinions on air combat. Some pilots thought he was rude.
Mannock flew the squadron's Nieuport 17 plane. He often stayed in the air because he felt unwelcome on the ground. He made friends with new pilots, especially other Irishmen. George McElroy joined in September and became Mannock's student.
Mannock had to overcome his fear of combat. On April 13, he flew over enemy lines for the first time. German anti-aircraft artillery fired at him. He struggled with his plane and fell out of formation. Future patrols did not make his fear go away. He was avoided in the pilots' mess hall.
On April 19, Mannock gained some respect. He landed his plane safely during a firing practice. This was after his lower right wing tore off. He forced himself to fly again and kept practicing. He learned to get very close to enemy planes, within 20 or 30 yards, before opening fire.
On May 1, 1917, 40 Squadron flew over a German airfield. This was home to the famous Jagdstaffel 11 led by the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. Mannock avoided enemy planes but did not get a victory. Finally, on May 7, 1917, he shot down an observation balloon. This was a difficult and respected achievement. 40 Squadron lost a pilot that day. Mannock still felt like an outsider in the squadron. He focused on getting better. When he was alone, his nervousness disappeared. He made friends outside his squadron.
On June 7, he shot down an Albatros D.III for his second victory. On June 14, he went home on leave because he was exhausted. He spent two weeks in England. On July 12 and 13, he got credit for shooting down a DFW C.V. This brought his total to four. On July 13, he saw his third victory crash behind friendly lines. The pilot was dead. Mannock searched the wreckage. He found a dead black terrier mascot. This upset him for days. He wrote in his diary, "I felt exactly like a murderer."
On July 19, Mannock received the Military Cross (MC) for his bravery. He was congratulated by the Air Officer Commanding, Hugh Trenchard.
Mannock's skills grew during the Third Ypres campaign. In August, he shot down five Albatros D.V planes and one DFW C.V. His total reached nine victories. This meant he was now a "fighter ace" (a pilot with five or more victories). In September, he shot down six more enemy aircraft. This brought his total to 15. All these victories were in a Nieuport 23 plane.
Mannock's practice sessions paid off. After one victory, he wrote, "My man gave me an easy mark. I was only ten yards away from him... I let him have 60 rounds at that range, so there wasn't much left of him."
No. 74 Squadron
In October 1917, Mannock went back to England for a break. On October 18, he was awarded a second Military Cross. When he returned to France, his squadron began using the S.E.5 plane. Mannock damaged his own S.E.5 when he had to land it after engine trouble. But his spirits were high. He wrote to his sister that he had 16 enemy planes shot down.
The S.E.5 had two guns. One was a Lewis gun on the top wing. It could fire over the propeller. The other was a Vickers machine gun on the fuselage. It fired through the propeller using special gear. The plane could fly at 118 miles per hour. Mannock's first success in the S.E.5 was on New Year's Day 1918. It was his 16th victory overall. The enemy plane crashed, and its crew died. After this, Mannock was sent back to England.
Before leaving France, Mannock met with friends. His reputation had grown. Mechanics and officers lined the road to salute him as he drove away. In January, Mannock visited London, Birmingham, and Northampton to rest with his family.
Mannock was then assigned to 74 Squadron in February 1918. This unit was being prepared for combat. Mannock was made a senior flight commander. He immediately began training the new pilots in combat tactics. Mannock's famous saying became the squadron's motto: "Gentlemen, always above; seldom on the same level; never underneath." This meant they should always try to attack from above the enemy.
On March 27, the squadron was put on standby. On April 1, 1918, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed. The squadron moved to different locations. On April 12, Mannock shot down two Albatros D.V planes. These were his 17th and 18th victories.
Under Mannock's leadership, his flight (A Flight) had many successes. His own score increased to 20 by the end of April. On April 23 and 29, he shot down a Pfalz D.III and a Fokker D.VI.
Mannock received the Distinguished Service Order on May 9, 1918. This month, his victories almost doubled, from 21 to 41. On May 12, he shot down three fighters. On May 21, he downed four enemies in dogfights around Ypres. Two more victories on May 26 and 29 brought his total to 41. On May 29, Mannock received a second Distinguished Service Order.
Leading No. 85 Squadron
On June 1, 1918, 74 Squadron fought against German squadrons. Mannock attacked from above and in front. He shot down three Pfalz D.III planes.
Over the next eight days, Mannock achieved double victories on June 6, 9, and 16. On the evening of June 6, Mannock wrote home that he had 51 victories. By June 16, he had 51 officially recognized victories. At this time, Mannock was the highest-scoring British pilot still fighting. Only James McCudden and Manfred von Richthofen had shot down more planes than Mannock. The next morning, Mannock got his 52nd victory with 74 Squadron.
On June 18, 1918, Mannock went to England for leave. He visited his mother. Friends noticed he seemed very nervous. This was probably due to the stress of combat. Mannock did not want to be a commander. He preferred to keep flying with 74 Squadron. But as a senior flight commander, he never showed weakness to his men.
Mannock took command of No. 85 Squadron RAF on July 5, 1918. The squadron had many experienced pilots. Mannock had a strong group to lead.
Mannock got his first victories with 85 Squadron on July 7. He shot down two Fokker D.VII fighters in the same fight. These were his 53rd and 54th victories. Two days later, he learned that McCudden had died in an accident. This was a sad blow to Mannock. On July 14, Mannock got his 55th victory. He claimed another on July 19. On July 20, 1918, Mannock shot down a reconnaissance plane and two Fokker D.VII fighters. A Fokker Dr.I on July 22 brought Mannock's total to 60.
On July 20, Mannock warned his friend George McElroy about the dangers of following a German plane too low. He said it was risky because of ground fire.
His Final Flight
On July 26, Major Mannock offered to help a new pilot, Lt. Donald C. Inglis, get his first victory. After shooting down an enemy LVG two-seater plane, Mannock flew down to see the wreckage. This was against one of the unwritten rules for pilots. As they flew back over the trenches, they faced heavy ground fire. Mannock's plane was hit, and its engine caught fire. The plane crashed behind German lines. Mannock's body was found about 250 yards from his plane.
Remembering Mick Mannock
The exact reason for Mannock's death is still not fully known. A year later, his former comrades worked hard to get him recognized. He was then awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery.
Mannock's body was never officially found by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. So, he has no known grave. His name is on the Royal Flying Corps Memorial to the Missing in Arras. There is also a memorial plaque for him in Canterbury Cathedral.
Mick Mannock's name is on the Wellingborough War Memorial. The local Air Training Corps unit is named after him: 378 (Mannock) Squadron. A street in Wellingborough is also named Mannock Road.
On June 24, 1988, a plaque was put up at 183 Mill Road, Wellingborough. Mannock had lived there before the war.
A military plane, Vickers VC10 C1K serial XV103, was named 'Edward Mannock VC' for many years. This name was later moved to other planes.
In 2009, one of the last photos of Mannock was found in France. It shows him in his RAF uniform. He is holding a walking stick and has his hand on a young French girl's shoulder.
Researchers have suggested that the unknown remains of a British airman found near Mannock's crash site could be his. These remains were reburied in a war cemetery.
A pencil drawing, thought to be of Mannock, was found hidden in a World War I aircraft. This plane was being restored for filmmaker Peter Jackson.
List of Air Victories
Mannock is officially credited with 61 victories. This includes 1 balloon destroyed, 3 (and 2 shared) captured, 30 (and 5 shared) destroyed, and 17 (and 3 shared) "out of control."
Some people, like his friend Ira Jones, tried to say Mannock had 73 victories. This would have made him the top British Empire ace. However, research shows that some of these claims were mistakes or duplicates.
