Arthur Randall

Flight Lieutenant Arthur Clunie Randall DFC (b. 6 February 1896) was a Scottish World War I flying ace credited with 10 aerial victories. [1] After earning a Distinguished Flying Cross during the war, he remained in military service until 1926.

Arthur Clunie Randall
Nickname(s)"Snowy"
Born(1896-02-06)6 February 1896
Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1914–1926
RankFlight Lieutenant
Unit
Battles/warsWorld War I
 • Western Front
 • British campaign in the Baltic (1918–19)
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross
Cross of Liberty (Estonia)

Early life

Arthur Clunie Randall was born in Paisley, Scotland, on 6 February 1896. When he enlisted in the military, he was living in Bothwell, Lanarkshire.[1]

World War I

On 13 November 1914, Randall was among cadets and ex-cadets of the Officers' Training Corps appointed as temporary second lieutenants in the infantry.[2] After serving in a reserve battalion of the Border Regiment, he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps on 27 October 1916,[3] and appointed a flying officer, transferred to the General List, on 30 November.[4] He was posted to No. 32 Squadron, flying an Airco DH.2. He scored his first aerial victory with them on 23 January 1917. He would score one more win with them, being wounded in the process, on 11 March 1917.[1][5] On 1 April 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant,[6] and on 3 June was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain.[7] His second combat tour was as a fighter pilot with No. 85 Squadron, flying a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a. This time around, he scored another eight aerial victories, between June and October 1918, culminating in the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross just days before the Armistice.[1] His citation read:

Captain Arthur Clunie Randall.
"A daring and skilful airman who during recent operations has accounted for six enemy aeroplanes. He is conspicuous for his determination and devotion to duty."[8]

List of aerial victories
Combat record[1]
No. Date/time Aircraft/
Serial No.		 Opponent Result Location Notes
1 23 January 1917
@1515		 Airco DH.2 German reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed by fire Ervillers, France Shared with Captain Leslie Peech Aizlewood, Lieutenants G. J. King, Frank Billinge & T. A. Gooch, and 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Coningham
2 11 March 1917
@1005		 Airco DH.2
Serial number A2548		 Albatros D.III Driven down out of control Bapaume, France
3 18 June 1918
@0450		 SE.5a
s/n B7870		 German reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed Voormezeele, Belgium Shared with Lieutenant Alec Reid
4 14 July 1918
@0835		 SE.5a
s/n C1928		 Pfalz D.III Destroyed North of Merville, France
5 24 July 1918
@1045		 SE.5a
s/n C1931		 Fokker D.VII Destroyed Neuve-Église, France
6 31 July 1918
@2005		 SE.5a
s/n C6454		 Albatros reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed Vieille-Chapelle, France
7 9 August 1918
@0755		 SE.5a
s/n C6454		 Albatros reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed by fire Steenwerck, France
8 10 August 1918
@0640		 SE.5a
s/n C6454		 DFW reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed Le Touret, France
9 22 August 1918
@1650		 SE.5a
s/n C6454		 Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Maricourt, France
10 4 October 1918
@1755		 SE.5a
s/n E5487		 DFW reconnaissance aircraft Destroyed Northwest of Aubencheul-aux-Bois, France

Post-war career

Randall remained in the RAF after the war, being granted a permanent commission with the rank of captain on 1 August 1919.[9] He was then serving in the campaign in the Baltic in which British forces supported the White Army against the Reds in the Russian Civil War. Randall took part in the Raid on Kronstadt on the night of 17/18 August 1919. He flew one of the eight aircraft that created a diversion while Royal Navy Coastal Motor Boats attacked Russian warships. However, Randall suffered an engine failure en route. He was just about to land when his engine came back to life, and despite knowing that it could fail again at any time, he pressed on to take part in the attack. His engine failed completely on the return journey.[10] Meanwhile, a flotilla of eight Coastal Motor Boats entered the harbour and launched their torpedoes, succeeding in sinking the submarine tender Dvina (formerly the armoured cruiser Pamiat Azova), and damaging the battleships Petropavlovsk and Andrei Pervozvanny, though three CMB's were sunk.[11] On 26 March 1920, Randall was awarded the Cross of Liberty Second Class by the government of Estonia,[12] in recognition of his services during the Estonian War of Independence.[13]

Randall then served in No. 210 Squadron, based at RAF Gosport, until 30 January 1922 when he was transferred to No. 203 Squadron,[14] based at RAF Leuchars. However he was soon transferred again, moving to the RAF Depot (Inland Area) as a supernumerary on 3 April.[15] From 6 January 1923 he served as adjutant of the Inland Area Aircraft Depot.[16]

Randall was dismissed from the Royal Air Force by sentence of a General Court-Martial on 23 December 1926.[17] He reportedly emigrated to Dominica, in the Caribbean, settled in the village of Delices, and was still living there up until 1948.

See also

References
  1. "Arthur Clunie Randall". The Aerodrome. 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  2. "No. 28976". The London Gazette. 13 November 1914. pp. 9382–9383.
  3. "No. 29804". The London Gazette. 27 October 1916. p. 10430.
  4. "No. 29869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 December 1916. pp. 12323–12324.
  5. "Roll of Honour: Wounded". Flight. IX (430): 271. 22 March 1917. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  6. "No. 30458". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 January 1918. p. 343.
  7. "No. 30139". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 June 1917. p. 6116.
  8. "No. 30989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 November 1918. p. 12971.
  9. "No. 31486". The London Gazette. 1 August 1919. pp. 9864–9867.
  10. "The Raid on Kronstadt". Flight. XI (564): 1361. 16 October 1919. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  11. Smith, Gordon (2011). "Baltic and North Russia 1919". naval-history.net. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  12. "Arthur Clunie Randall". Office of the President. 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  13. "Estonian State Decorations". Office of the President. 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  14. "Royal Air Force: Appointments". Flight. XIV (684): 75. 2 February 1922. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  15. "Royal Air Force: Appointments". Flight. XIV (699): 289. 18 May 1922. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  16. "Royal Air Force: Appointments". Flight. XV (735): 55. 25 January 1923. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  17. "No. 33236". The London Gazette. 4 January 1927. p. 44.
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