The Airmen's Stories - Lt. (FAA) R A Bird

Ronald Arthur Bird, from Largs, Ayrshire, was a graduate of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. He was posted to 804 Squadron at Hatston on 1st July 1940. The squadron was seconded to Fighter Command and its Sea Gladiators were employed on dockyard defence. 804 was later reformed as a Catapult Fighter Unit. On 4th October 1941 Bird was launched in a Fulmar from the Ariguani against a Fw200 Condor which he intercepted and damaged.

Bird was awarded the DSC (gazetted 26th June 1945) for 'courage, daring and tenacity in air strikes whilst serving with HMS Searcher off Norway'.

He was awarded a Bar to the DSC (gazetted 7th August 1945) for 'outstanding courage in air attacks against U-boat bases at Kilbotn, Norway'.

On 10th April 1946 Bird was killed in a flying accident whilst serving in HMS Garnet, aged 29. He is remembered on the Fleet Air Arm Memorial at Lee-on-Solent.