Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning,

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

(17 July 1892 – 7 August 1917), of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Royal Naval Air Service, was the first pilot to land an aircraft on a moving ship.

Early life

Dunning was born in South Africa on 17 July 1892, the second child of Sir Edwin Harris Dunning of Jacques Hall, Bradfield, Essex. He was educated at Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth.

First landing on a moving ship

Dunning killed on second carrier landing IWM Q 80597

Dunning landed his

Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying character ...

on in Scapa Flow, Orkney on 2 August 1917. He was killed five days later, during his third landing attempt of the day, when an updraft caught his port wing, throwing his plane overboard. Knocked unconscious, he

drowned Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

in the cockpit. He is buried at St Lawrence's Church, Bradfield, between his parents. A plaque in the church states: In memory of Dunning, the Dunning Cup or Dunning Memorial Cup is given annually to the officer who is considered to have done most to further aviation in connection with the Fleet for the year in question. In the 1950s and 1960s it was awarded to Royal Air Force squadrons which achieve the highest standard on courses at the Joint Anti-Submarine School.

Honours and awards

*14 March 1916 – Flight Lieutenant Edwin Harris Dunning, RNAS is awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

- "Has performed exceptionally good work as a seaplane flyer, making many long flights both for spotting and photographing." *14 March 1916 – mentioned in despatches for service at Gallipoli. *1 October 1917 – The following Officers and Men have been mentioned in despatches – Sqdrn. Cdr. Edwin Harris Dunning, DSC., RNAS (since killed).

Notes

References

CWGC entry

Memorial to Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning DSC in St Lawrence's Church, Bradfield, Essex

HMS Furious
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunning, Edwin Harris 1892 births 1917 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Scotland British military personnel killed in World War I Burials in Essex Deaths by drowning in the United Kingdom Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Navy officers of World War I Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1917 South African military personnel