British Victoria Cross War Medal Recipient. He was born to an army officer in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, northwest Wales. He was a student of the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned in 1913 in the Royal Garrison Artillery. He learned to fly at his own expense and received his pilot certificate in 1913. He was then attached to the West African Frontier Force and saw his first flying action in 1915. He was known as an aggressive pilot and excellent marksman. In addition to the Victoria Cross he was also awarded the Order of the British Empire, the Military Cross, and the Air Force Cross. He retired from the Royal Air Force in 1931, but returned to duty in World War II as a Wing Commander. He met and married a young lady in 1947 when he was 62 years old and they had three children before he died of leukemia. His Victoria Cross citation reads, "On 1 July 1916 at Double Crassieurs, France, Major Rees, whilst on flying duties, sighted what he thought was a bombing party of our machines returning home, but were in fact enemy aircraft. Major Rees was attacked by one of them, but after a short encounter it disappeared, damaged. The others then attacked him at long range, but he dispersed them, seriously damaging two of the machines. He chased two others but was wounded in the thigh, temporarily losing control of his aircraft. He righted it and closed with the enemy, using up all his ammunition, firing at very close range. He then returned home, landing his aircraft safely."
British Victoria Cross War Medal Recipient. He was born to an army officer in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, northwest Wales. He was a student of the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned in 1913 in the Royal Garrison Artillery. He learned to fly at his own expense and received his pilot certificate in 1913. He was then attached to the West African Frontier Force and saw his first flying action in 1915. He was known as an aggressive pilot and excellent marksman. In addition to the Victoria Cross he was also awarded the Order of the British Empire, the Military Cross, and the Air Force Cross. He retired from the Royal Air Force in 1931, but returned to duty in World War II as a Wing Commander. He met and married a young lady in 1947 when he was 62 years old and they had three children before he died of leukemia. His Victoria Cross citation reads, "On 1 July 1916 at Double Crassieurs, France, Major Rees, whilst on flying duties, sighted what he thought was a bombing party of our machines returning home, but were in fact enemy aircraft. Major Rees was attacked by one of them, but after a short encounter it disappeared, damaged. The others then attacked him at long range, but he dispersed them, seriously damaging two of the machines. He chased two others but was wounded in the thigh, temporarily losing control of his aircraft. He righted it and closed with the enemy, using up all his ammunition, firing at very close range. He then returned home, landing his aircraft safely."
Bio by: Tom Todd
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