Richard Gammon

Richard John Gammon
Born	1898 Hounslow, Middlesex, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Years of service	c.1914–1919 1940–c.1945
Rank	Captain
Unit	No. 104 Squadron RAF
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross

Captain Richard John Gammon DFC was an English World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.

Gammon was born in Hounslow, the son of Philip Gammon, a grocer.

He enlisted into the army at Hampton Court in 1914 or 1915 and served on the Western Front until invalided out after suffering from trench foot. He volunteered to transfer to the Royal Flying Corps as a cadet, and was commissioned as a probationary temporary second lieutenant on 29 August 1917, being confirmed in his rank and appointed a flying officer on 8 February 1918.

Gammon was assigned to No. 104 Squadron, part of the Independent Air Force, flying the Airco DH.9 light bomber, with Second Lieutenant Percival Appleby as his observer/gunner. He was appointed a temporary captain on 27 June 1918.

Gammon and Appleby gained their first victory on 1 July 1918 destroying a Albatros D.V over Metz. A month later, on 1 August, they accounted for a Pfalz D.III at Boulay airfield. On 7 September Gammon was the commander of ten aircraft (two flights) from No. 104 Squadron which, with eleven aircraft from No. 99 Squadron, mounted a daylight air raid on the Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik chemical works at Mannheim. The British force, under the overall command of Major Lawrence Pattinson of No. 99 Squadron, were attacked by numbers of enemy aircraft on the outward flight, while over the target, and on their return. However, they successfully dropped over two tons of bombs on the target, and also shot down six enemy aircraft, two of which were credited to Gammon and Appleby. As a result of this raid Gammon and Appleby were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Their citation read:

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