Frank Ransley
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Frank Cecil Ransley
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1897|10|18|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|12|31|1897|10|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Caversham, Berkshire, England
| death_place = Alton, Hampshire, England
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army
Royal Air Force
| serviceyears =
| rank = Captain
| unit = Royal Garrison Artillery
No. 48 Squadron RAF
| commands =
| battles = World War I
{{*}}Western Front
| awards = Distinguished Flying Cross
Order of the British Empire
| relations =
| laterwork = Governor of HMP Wandsworth
}}
Captain Frank Cecil Ransley {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DFC|OBE|sep=yes}} (18 October 1897 – 31 December 1992) was a British World War I flying ace credited with nine aerial victories.{{cite web |url=http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/ransley.php |title=Frank Cecil Ransley |work=The Aerodrome |year=2015 |access-date=9 November 2015}} He would survive the war to become one of its oldest aces before dying at 95 years of age.
Early life
Frank Cecil Ransley was born in Caversham, Berkshire, England, on 18 October 1897. He first served as a gunner (regimental number 19867) in the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1914.{{cite web |url= http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D4784836 |title=Medal card of Ransley, Frank |work=The National Archives |year=2015 |access-date=9 November 2015}}
World War I
On 10 May 1917, Ransley was a cadet appointed to the General List of the Royal Flying Corps as a temporary second lieutenant on probation.{{London Gazette |date=29 May 1917 |supp=y |issue=30100 |page=5309 |nolink=yes}} He was appointed a flying officer and confirmed in his rank on 29 September.{{London Gazette |date=19 October 1917 |supp=y |issue=30344 |page=10818 |nolink=yes}}
Ransley was posted to No. 48 Squadron in late 1917 to fly the Bristol F.2b two-seater fighter. His gunner scored an aerial victory for them on 28 January 1918. Ransley scored his second victory personally two months later. He would gain a total of nine victories by 27 June 1918, being appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 15 May 1918.{{London Gazette |date=31 May 1918 |issue=30714 |page=6383 |nolink=yes}}
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in June,{{sfnp|Shores|Franks|Guest|1990|p=313}} though it was not gazetted until 3 August 1918. The citation read:
:Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Frank Cecil Ransley.
::"This officer displays conspicuous gallantry and skill. On a recent occasion, while on patrol he was attacked by seven enemy scouts; he and his observer drove down two, and by skilful manoeuvre and dash he rallied his formation, which were being driven down, and succeeded in driving off the remaining enemy scouts. He has, in all, destroyed three hostile machines and driven down three others completely out of control."{{London Gazette |date=2 August 1918 |supp=y |issue=30827 |page=9202 |nolink=yes}}
=List of aerial victories=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;" |
| +Combat record{{sfnp|Shores|Franks|Guest|1990|p=313}} |
| No.
! width="125" |Date/time ! width="130" |Aircraft/ ! Opponent ! Result ! Location ! Notes |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 28 January 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | Rumpler reconnaissance aircraft | Driven down out of control | With 2nd Lieutenant Robert Herring as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 27 March 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | LVG reconnaissance aircraft | Destroyed | With 2nd Lieutenant Joseph Moore as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 12 April 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | Destroyed | West of Moreuil Woods | With 2nd Lieutenant L. W. Davies as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| 1 June 1918 | rowspan="2"|Bristol F.2 Fighter | Set afire; destroyed | North of Lamotte | rowspan="2"| With 2nd Lieutenant G. Dixon as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| Albatros D.V |Driven down out of control | Lamotte |
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 June 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | Albatros D.V | Set afire; destroyed | Roye | Shared with Captain Charles Steele, Lieutenant John Elmer Drummond, & 2nd Lieutenant Harold Oaks |
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| style="text-align:center;"| 14 June 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | LVG reconnaissance aircraft | Driven down out of control | East of Albert | With Sergeant W. Lauder as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
| style="text-align:center;"| 25 June 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | Driven down out of control | With 2nd Lieutenant L. W. Davies as gunner/observer |
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
| style="text-align:center;"| 27 June 1918 | Bristol F.2 Fighter | Fokker D.VII | Set afire; destroyed | East of Lamotte. | With 2nd Lieutenant L. W. Davies as gunner/observer |
Post-war career
After the war Ransley joined the Prison Service, serving as an Assistant House-master at a Borstal from 1924, and being appointed a House-master in January 1928.{{London Gazette |city=e |date=9 March 1928 |issue=14424 |page=289 |nolink=yes}} In early 1932 he was appointed a Governor (Class IV),{{London Gazette |date=8 April 1932 |issue=33815 |page=2301 |nolink=yes}} and by 12 June 1958, when he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, he was serving as governor of HM Prison Wandsworth.{{London Gazette |date=3 June 1958 |supp=y |issue=41404 |page=3525 |nolink=yes}}
References
;Notes
{{reflist|30em}}
;Bibliography
- {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |authorlink2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell F. |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-948817-19-9 |name-list-style=amp}}
{{wwi-air}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ransley, Frank}}
Category:People from Caversham, Reading
Category:Royal Garrison Artillery soldiers
Category:Royal Flying Corps officers
Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War I
Category:British World War I flying aces
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire