Richard John Cork

Cork was promoted sub-lieutenant in March 1940.^[3] From 21 April until 11 June 1940 he served with No.759 and No.760 Squadrons flying Skuas and Gladiators and on 11 June he was graded as an above average pilot.^[6] A shortage of fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain led to the Fleet Air Arm asking for volunteers to serve with the Royal Air Force. On 1 July 1940, Cork and two other naval pilots joined the Hawker Hurricane equipped No. 242 Squadron under the command of Squadron Leader Douglas Bader; Cork was assigned to become Bader's wingman.^[7][8] On 30 August, he was involved in his first combat action with No. 242 Squadron. The unit claimed 12 aircraft destroyed, and Cork was credited with a Messerschmitt Bf 110 destroyed and a share in a second. By 13 September he had shot down five aircraft and became a fighter ace.^[9] For his exploits he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 18 October 1940. Paul Brickhill states that, at the insistence of the Admiralty, the DFC was exchanged for a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).^[10][11][12] However, Hugh Halliday corrects this myth and advises that the DFC was recommended by Bader but actually awarded as the naval equivalent, the DSC, in the London Gazette issue of 18 October,^[13][11] although he confirms that as squadron commander Bader insisted that Cork wear the ribbon of the DFC while serving with the RAF; this is confirmed by contemporary photographs.^[14] Out of the 58 Fleet Air Arm pilots seconded to the RAF during the Battle of Britain, 12 of them shot down at least one aircraft, five became aces, seven were killed and two wounded.^[9]

Cork returned to the Fleet Air Arm after the battle and was posted to 880 Naval Air Squadron. The unit was equipped with the Grumman Martlet, which were exchanged for Hawker Sea Hurricanes by mid-1941.^[15] The squadron then joined HMS Furious for attacks on Petsamo and Kirkenes in Arctic Norway. Cork flew two missions but did not come into contact with the German defenders.^[16] After this attack, 880 Squadron joined the newly built fleet carrier HMS Indomitable in October 1941,^[17] and Cork was promoted to lieutenant the following month.^[3] One of the squadron's first operations with Indomitable involved the attack on Vichy French gun positions during the landings at Diego Suarez, Madagascar on 6 May 1942. During these operations Cork claimed three Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s and four Potez 63s, all destroyed on the ground.^[18] On 12 August 1942, during Operation Pedestal, he became the only Royal Navy pilot to shoot down five aircraft in one day, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 10 November 1942.^[19] Flying a Sea Hurricane, his first success was at 12:30 hours when he shot down a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 over the convoy. Then, flying off the coast of Tunisia, he shot down a Junkers Ju 88 and shared in the destruction of another. Later in the day he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 110 and another Savoia-Marchetti SM.79.^[20] The squadron leader, Lieutenant Commander F.E.C. Judd, was killed during these battles and Cork as the senior pilot was given command of 880 Squadron.^[21] In September 1942 he was promoted to acting lieutenant commander.^[3]

In November 1943 he was posted to HMS Illustrious as wing leader of the 15th Naval Fighter Wing,^[2] comprising three squadrons of Vought F4U Corsairs, on board HMS Illustrious. The carrier sailed for the Indian Ocean to join the British Pacific Fleet. After arriving Cork was killed in a flying accident while landing at China Bay, Ceylon on 14 April 1944.^[2] His final score was nine destroyed, two shared, one probable, four damaged and seven destroyed on the ground. He was fifth on the table of Royal Navy Second World War aces.^[22][23][24] He was buried in Trincomalee War Cemetery.^[25]

• Barber, Mark (2008). The British Fleet Air Arm in World War II. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-283-7.
• Brickhill, Paul (2009). Reach for the sky. London: W and N. ISBN 978-0304356744.
• Burns, Michael (1990). Bader: The Man and His Men. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 1-85409-246-4.
• Halliday, Hugh (1981). 242 Squadron: The Canadian years. Earl Shilton: Midland Counties. ISBN 0-920002-09-9.
• Holmes, Tony (1998). Hurricane Aces 1939–40. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-597-5.
• Shores, Christopher (1994). Aces High. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-898697-00-0.
• Thomas, Andrew (2002). Hurricane Aces 1941–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-610-0.
• Thomas, Andrew (2007). Royal Navy Aces of World War 2. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-178-6.
• Wren, AH (1998). Naval Fighter Pilot: Lt.Cdr.R.J.Cork DSO, DSC, RN. Lichfield: Heron Books. ISBN 978-0953225002.