40 Facts About Louis Strange

Louis Strange was born in Tarrant Keyneston, Dorset, and was educated at St Edward's School, Oxford, joining the school's contingent of the Dorset Yeomanry.

Louis Strange's family farmed 600 acres at Spetisbury in Dorset.

Louis Strange had seen military aircraft and the airship Beta flying over Dorset during the summer manoeuvres of 1912 when serving with the Dorsetshire Yeomanry and determined in May 1913 to become a pilot.

Louis Strange's posting to the sixth course of instruction at the RFC's Central Flying School at Upavon, Wiltshire, came in May 1914.

On 30 July 1914 Louis Strange was formally commissioned for service in the Regular Army as a second lieutenant in the Dorsetshire Regiment, but remained on attachment to the Royal Flying Corps, in which he was appointed a flying officer the same day.

Louis Strange soon adapted his Farman to carry a Lewis machine gun, improvising a mounting to the top of the observer's nacelle.

Louis Strange took off in his Farman with Lieutenant L Penn-Gaskell as gunner in the front cockpit to intercept the patrolling Germans, but with inconclusive results as the laden aircraft would not climb above 3,500 feet.

In October 1914 Louis Strange invented a safety strap allowing the observer of his Avro 504 to "stand up and fire all round over top of plane and behind".

Louis Strange designed and fitted a machine gun mounting to the 504, consisting of a crossbar between the central struts over which was slung a rope, allowing the Lewis to be pulled up into a position from which the observer, seating in the front cockpit, could fire backwards over Strange's head.

On 22 November 1914 it was with this arrangement that Strange claimed his first victory; with Lieutenant F Small as gunner, he attacked an Aviatik two-seater and forced it down from over Armentieres to make a bumpy landing in a ploughed field just behind the British lines.

On 25 December 1914 Louis Strange flew to the German-held airfield at Lille and, as a Christmas Day prank, bombed it with footballs.

Louis Strange next turned his talents to developing a bomb chute with Lieutenant Euan Rabagliati.

Louis Strange dropped these bombs on Kortrijk railway station, from a height of no more than 150 feet, causing 75 casualties and closing the station for three days.

Louis Strange, hanging onto the ammunition drum of the Lewis gun, managed to swing back into the cockpit and kick the stick over to right the aircraft only 500 feet above the ground.

Louis Strange safely returned to base, but was criticised by his CO for "causing unnecessary damage" to his instrument panel and seat in his efforts to regain the cockpit.

On 21 September 1915 Louis Strange was appointed to form and command No 23 Squadron RFC at Gosport, Hampshire.

Louis Strange then established No 1 School of Air Gunnery at Hythe in Kent, with the acting-rank of lieutenant-colonel, and formed No 2 School of Air Gunnery at Turnberry.

On 26 June 1918 Louis Strange was selected to command the newly formed 80th Wing.

On 1 August 1919 Louis Strange was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of major, resigning his commission in the Dorsetshire Regiment the same day.

Louis Strange retired from the service through ill health on 24 February 1921.

Louis Strange bought 1,300 acres of farmland at Worth Matravers on the Isle of Purbeck, and worked them over the next seven years, helping to restore his health.

Louis Strange was a director of the Whitney Straight Corporation.

Louis Strange flew company aircraft in several competitions, including the Simmonds Spartan G-AAGN in the 1929 King's Cup Air Race, and the Simmonds Spartan G-AAMG in a 45-mile handicap race from Woodley to Hanworth and back, at the Reading Air Fete in June 1930, coming 2nd with an average speed of 99 miles per hour.

Too old for a regular commission, on 18 April 1940 Louis Strange returned to military service as a 50-year-old pilot officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Louis Strange was posted to No 24 Squadron, the RAF's only transport and communications services squadron at that time.

On 21 May 1940 Louis Strange arrived in Merville in northern France as No 24 Squadron's Aerodrome Control Officer.

Surprised by the sound of machine-gun fire, Louis Strange dived the Hurricane to tree-top height and successfully escaped.

On 21 June 1940, Squadron Leader Louis Strange was appointed commanding officer of the newly created Central Landing School at RAF Ringway near Manchester.

On 5 May 1941, the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit was established at RAF Speke near Liverpool, and Louis Strange was appointed as commanding officer.

In December 1943 Louis Strange was posted to No 46 Group as Wing Commander, Operations.

Louis Strange had six airstrips under his control in the expanding beachhead as this time.

Louis Strange was responsible for the control and administration of a series of Temporary Staging Posts supporting the Allied campaign.

In October 1944 Louis Strange served with the HQ, 1st Allied Airborne Army.

Louis Strange returned to farming but continued his links with civil aviation.

Louis Strange bought the Taylorcraft Auster Plus D light aircraft G-AHCR and flew it in several competitions, including the Wiltshire Flying Club's Thruxton Cup Race on 26 August 1950, averaging 103 miles per hour over the 75 miles route; the Daily Express sponsored South Coast Race on 16 September 1950, coming in 54th out of 61 entrants; and the 1950 Daily Express Challenge Air Trophy, at the age of 59, being the oldest of the 76 competitors.

Louis Strange continued to fly regularly and died peacefully in his sleep in 1966, aged 75.

Louis Strange's daughter, Susan Strange, was an eminent British scholar in international relations.

Pilot Officer Louis Strange was detailed to proceed from Hendon to Merville to act as ground control officer during the arrival and departure of various aircraft carrying food supplies.

Louis Strange displayed great skill and determination whilst under heavy bombing attacks and machine-gun fire at Merville, where he was responsible for the repair and successful despatch of two aircraft to England.

Louis Strange had no guns in action and had never flown this type of aircraft previously, but his brilliant piloting enabled him to return with this much needed aircraft.