Bidspirit auction | Rare Victoria Cross winner Group

Rare Victoria Cross winner Group Captain Gilbert S.M.Insall VC MC signed piece and biography. Gaining his pilot's ”wings”, he was posted to France on 16th July 1915, and later in the month joined 11 Squadron RFC at Vert Garland aerodrome, alongside the Amiens-Doullens road. 11 Squadron was equipped with Vickers FB5 two seat aircraft, and was intended for fighting duties. The squadron arrived on 25th July 1915 and by September had moved to Villers Bretonneux. Although employed to a large extent as a fighter squadron, its main tasks were photo reconnaissance and bombing sorties. Gilbert quickly settled into the routine of the squadron, and from his early flights displayed a keen fighting spirit. On 6th September 1915, for example, in FB5, with Second Lieutenant Manley, he was tasked with photo reconnaissance of Albert. A German aircraft suddenly appeared and Insall turned and engaged them. During the following weeks, he regularly took on several German aircraft without visible results. On 7th November 1915 near Achiet-le-Grand, France, Second Lieutenant Insall, on patrol in Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus No. 5074 with 1st Class Air Mechanic T. H. Donald, engaged an Aviatik two-seater and forced the German pilot to make a rough landing in a ploughed field. Seeing the air crew scramble out and prepare to fire, Insall dove to 500 ft and his gunner opened fire, whereupon the Germans fled. After dropping an incendiary bomb on the downed German aircraft, Insall flew through heavy fire at 2000 ft over enemy trenches. The Vickers' petrol tank was hit, but Insall brought the plane 500 yards back inside Allied lines for an emergency landing. Insall and Donald stayed by the Gunbus through a bombardment of about 150 shells while awaiting nightfall. After dark, they then set to work by torch light to salvage their plane. After they repaired the machine overnight, Insall flew them back to base at dawn. For his actions, Gilbert was gazetted for the VC on 23rd December 1915 and Donald was awarded the DCM. Sadly, at the time of his gazetting, Gilbert was in a German hospital following an incident on 14th December. He was attacked by a German two seater, and Donald was wounded in the leg, and Gilbert was hit in the base of the spine by a sliver of a shell. Forced to land behind enemy lines, they were taken prisoner and taken to Cologne for medical treatment. After several months in hospital, Gilbert was moved to a prisoner of war camp in Heidelberg. He was determined to escape and in 1916 he succeeded, only to be re-captured five days later. Sent to Crefeld Camp, he and several companions then built an escape tunnel and managed to escape into the Black Forest. Again, he was soon re-captured and was sentenced to a period of solitary confinement in the POW Camp at Strohen. On 28th August 1917, he escaped with two others from Strohen, and managed to get to the Dutch border and freedom. Gilbert's unending attempts to escape from imprisonment saw him awarded the Military Cross. During the winter of 1917-18, the now Captain Insall, was attached to the training staff at Gosport; and in mid-1918 he was posted to 51 (Home Defence) Squadron at Bekesbourne, as commander of A Flight. By the armistice he was serving on the staff of 53 (Home Defence) Wing, Harrietsham. Good condition Est.