When was frank mcnamara born

During the aerial bomb attack upon a hostile construction train, when one of our pilots Rutherford was forced to land behind the enemy's lines. McNamara, observing this pilot's predicament and the fact that hostile cavalry were approaching, descended to his rescue. He did this under heavy rifle fire and in spite of the fact that he himself had been severely wounded in the thigh.

He landed about yards from the damaged machine, the pilot of which climbed on to Lt. McNamara's machine, and an attempt was made to rise. Owing, however, to his disabled leg, Lt. McNamara was unable to keep his machine straight, and it turned over. The two officers, having extricated themselves, immediately set fire to the machine and made their way across to the damaged machine, which they succeeded in starting.

While McNamara provided what covering fire he could with his revolver and with the enemy almost upon them, Rutherford swung the heavy four-bladed propellor. Fortunately the engine fired at the first attempt and Rutherford jumped into the observer's seat as McNamara gave the aircraft full throttle.

Despite some damage to the struts and fuselage, and with McNamara fighting pain and close to unconsciousness from loss of blood, he managed to get them off the ground safely.

He then flew them back a distance of some seventy miles km to their home base at El Arish where he carried out a safe landing but lost consciousness from loss of blood and an allergic reaction to an injection. For this brilliant rescue, carried out under extremely hazardous conditions and under heavy enemy fire, McNamara received the only V.

A painting by Septimus Power , depicting the dramatic escape of the two pilots, is in the Australian War Memorial collection. In April McNamara was appointed flight commander and promoted captain but was invalided to Australia in September and demobilized in January However, he was reappointed to the A. When the Royal Australian Air Force was formed in March he transferred with the rank of flight lieutenant.

He served at R. Headquarters, Melbourne, as staff officer, Operations and Intelligence, until July , when he was appointed officer commanding, No. Murray Jones. He was promoted wing commander in October but remained in command of No. Station, Laverton, Victoria. McNamara was promoted group captain three years later and in was sent to the United Kingdom to attend the Imperial Defence College; he was then posted to Australia House as the Australian air liaison officer with the Air Ministry.

On the outbreak of World War II he was promoted air commodore and in was appointed air officer commanding R. He was later attached on loan to the R. As he began to return to base, he spotted a colleague, Captain David Rutherford, who had crash landed, standing beside his plane with Turkish cavalry approaching.

Despite his wound, he landed his plane near Rutherford who climbed onto the wind and hung on to the struts. McNamara attempted to take off but the weight was unbalanced and with his severe injury, he could not control the plane and it overturned. While Rutherford repaired the engine, McNamara used his revolved to shoot at the Turkish cavalry.

Meanwhile, the other two pilots overhead also joined in the fight to ward off the enemy. They got the engine started and McNamara managed to take off successfully and fly the damaged plane, 70 miles km back to base at El Arish, despite heavily bleeding from his leg. He passed out shortly after from pain and blood loss and was taken to hospital where he almost died from an allergic reaction to a routine injection.