Frank Howard Kirby | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1871-11-12)12 November 1871 |
| Died | 8 July 1956(1956-07-08) (aged 84) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army (1892–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–1926) |
| Years of service | 1892–1926 |
| Rank | Group captain |
| Unit | Royal Engineers Royal Flying Corps |
| Battles / wars | Second Boer War World War I |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Commander of theOrder of the British Empire Distinguished Conduct Medal Mentioned in dispatches |
Group CaptainFrank Howard Kirby,VC, CBE, DCM (12 November 1871 – 8 July 1956) was a British military officer and a recipient of theVictoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British andCommonwealth forces.
Kirby was 28 years old, and acorporal in theCorps of Royal Engineers,British Army during theSecond Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:
On the morning of the 2nd June, 1900, a party sent to try to cut theDelagoa Bay Railway were retiring, hotly pressed by very superior numbers. During one of the successive retirements of the rearguard, a man, whose horse had been shot, was seen running after his comrades. He was a long way behind the rest of his troop and was under a brisk fire. From among the retiring troop Corporal Kirby turned and rode back to the man's assistance. Although by the time he reached him they were under a heavy fire at close range, Corporal Kirby managed to get the dismounted man up behind him and to take him clear off over the next rise held by our rearguard. This is the third occasion on which Corporal Kirby has displayed gallantry in the face of the enemy.[1]
The award was presented to him by the Duke of York (laterKing George V) inCape Town in August 1901, during the visit of the Prince and his wife to that city as part of their British Empire tour. Kirby also received theDistinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his service in South Africa. The medal was presented to him in March 1902 after his return to the United Kingdom, in the presence of one thousand Royal Engineers on parade.[2]
Kirby was appointed aregimental sergeant major atChatham in 1906. Five years later, in April 1911, he was gazetted with an honorary commission as alieutenant, appointed aquartermaster,[3] and posted to the newly formedAir Battalion of theRoyal Engineers. He attended the first course at theCentral Flying School in 1912.
Kirby subsequently transferred to theRoyal Flying Corps (which had absorbed the Air Battalion) and he was commissioned as an Equipment Officer. Kirby was appointed the Stores Officer at the Central Flying School. Kirby served at No 1 Aircraft Depot atSaint-Omer in early 1916, and with No 3 Army Aircraft Park in July 1916. In December 1916 he became commanding officer of No 1 Stores Depot at Kidbrooke in south London.
Kirby went on to achieve the rank oflieutenant colonel. Kirby remained in theRoyal Air Force after the end of theFirst World War and was granted a permanent commission as awing commander in 1920.[4] Kirby was appointed a Commander of theOrder of the British Empire in July 1926.[5] He eventually retired, with permission to retain the rank ofgroup captain, in December 1926.[6]
Kirby's Victoria Cross is on display at theLord Ashcroft VC Gallery in theImperial War Museum in London. He is buried inStreatham Park Cemetery.
There is an Oxfordshire Blue Plaque on Wavertree, 18 Lower High Street,Thame, the house where he was born.[7] He is also included in the First World War archive of Alleyn's School in Dulwich where Kirby was a pupil from 1882 to 1884[8]