Flight Lieutenant Godfrey Bremridge (1 March 1895 – 12 September 1941) was a World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

who was credited with five victories.

Early life

On 1 March 1895, Bremridge was born in

Winkleigh Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the el ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. His father was Reverend Henry Bremridge (1854–1913), vicar of Winkleigh. His mother was Dora Milne (1860–1895). Four weeks after his birth, his mother died. Bremridge was the second son. His elder brother was James Philip Alfred Bremridge, a Royal Navy officer. Before Bremridge was born, his sister Mildred Constance died in February 1895 at age two.

Career

Bremridge enlisted into the army, serving in the Army Service Corps in Egypt in 1914–15. At some point he returned to England, and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps where he was appointed a probationary temporary second lieutenant on 2 July 1917, being confirmed in the rank on 6 September 1917. Assigned to No. 65 Squadron, flying the

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...

, between 18 December 1917 and 9 March 1918 he drove down three enemy aircraft, and destroyed two others,Shores ''et.al.'' (1990) and had a "share" of three victories with other pilots. He was promoted to acting-captain on 1 August 1918, and was awarded the Air Force Cross on 1 January 1919. After the war he emigrated to the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

where he started an orange farm, and became the father of two daughters and a son, John Henry, but returned to England in the mid-1930s. On 12 December 1935 he joined the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

, where he was granted a commission as Flying Officer Class "C". On 22 January 1936 Bremridge, then living in

Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...

, Surrey, and Bernard L. Bremridge, a solicitor from

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, founded Weybridge Air Services Ltd., a private company, to "carry on the business of carriers of passengers, goods and mails in aeroplanes, etc." However, on 26 April 1937 Bremridge was appointed manager of the sales department at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

Aero Club, where he also worked as a flying instructor. During the Second World War he served as a pilot instructor.

Personal

Death

Bremridge was killed in a flying accident on 12 September 1941. He was buried at the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul at Sywell, Northamptonshire. Bremridge's brother James Philip Alfred Bremridge joined the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant-commander before dying aboard in 1926, and is buried in

Kalkara Naval Cemetery The Kalkara Naval Cemetery (or Capuccini Naval Cemetery) is a cemetery in Kalkara in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The main entrance to the cemetery is at the junction of Triq Santa Rokku and Triq San Leonardu. The cemetery is divided into ...

in Malta.

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bremridge, Godfrey 1895 births 1941 deaths People from Winkleigh Royal Army Service Corps soldiers Royal Flying Corps officers British World War I flying aces Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) English aviators Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England Royal Air Force personnel killed in World War II Royal Air Force pilots of World War II Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Military personnel from Devon British Army personnel of World War I