Conn Standish O'Grady

Conn Standish O'Grady
Born	4 January 1888 Ireland
Died	1970s
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Aviation
Rank	Captain
Unit	No. 23 Squadron RFC
Awards	Military Cross

Early life

Conn Standish O'Grady was born in Ireland^[1][2] on 4 January 1888.^[3]

World War I

O'Grady served in 23 Squadron as a Spad pilot. He scored his first aerial victory on 30 April 1917, and accumulated nine wins by the end of August. He was transferred off combat duty to Home Establishment in September 1917.^[4] He won a Military Cross for his deeds circa 1 October 1917;^[5] it was gazetted 9 January 1918:

2nd Lt. Conn Standish O'Grady, R.F.C., Spec. Res.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in leading fighting patrols against superior numbers of enemy aircraft. He has himself brought down three enemy machines completely out of control, and others were seen to be destroyed, and his dash and determination when outnumbered by the enemy have continually won the highest praise."^[6]

List of aerial victories

No.	Date/time	Aircraft	Foe	Result	Location	Notes
1	30 April 1917 @ 1640 hours	Spad serial number A262	Albatros D.III	Driven down out of control	Inchy-en-Artois
2	13 May 1917 @ 1900 hours	Spad	Albatros D.III	Set afire; destroyed	Vitry	Victory shared with Douglas McGregor
3	24 June 1917 @ 1610 hours	Spad s/n B3464	Albatros D.III	Set afire; destroyed	Sint-Jan	Victory shared with William John Charles Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick, George Ivan Douglas Marks
4	12 August 1917 @ 0620 hours	Spad B3556	Albatros D.III	Destroyed	Gheluvelt	Victory shared with Clive W. Warman
5	14 August 1917 @ 1905 hours	Spad B3556	Albatros D.III	Destroyed	East of Saint-Julien
6	14 August 1917 @ 1915 hours	Spad B3556	Reconnaissance plane	Destroyed	East of St.-Julien	Victory shared with three other pilots
7	20 August 1917 @ 1945 hours	Spad B3556	Albatros D.V	Set afire; destroyed	Poelcappelle
8	26 August 1917 @ 0650 hours	Spad B3556	Albatros D.V	Driven down out of control	North of Passchendaele
9	26 August 1917 @ 0700 hours	Spad B3556	Albatros D.V	Driven down out of control	North of Comines	[7][8]

Post World War I

O'Grady survived the war.^[9] He became a professor during the 1930s. He was an active glider pilot as late as the 1950s, belonging to the Newcastle Gliding Club. He died during the 1970s.^[10]

References

• Guttman, Jon. Spad VII Aces of World War I: Volume 39 of Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-222-9, ISBN 978-1-84176-222-7.
• Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell. Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4, ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.

Endnotes

1. Shores, et al., p. 293.
2. Guttman, p. 47.
3. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=8654096&queryType=1&resultcount=1 Retrieved 6 September 2011.
4. Shores, et al., p. 293.
5. (Flight, 4 October 1917, p. 1021.) http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%201021.html Retrieved 11 September 2011.
6. (Supplement to the London Gazette, 9 January 1918, p. 633.) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30466/supplements/633 Retrieved 6 September 2011.
7. http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/ireland/ogrady.php Retrieved 31 August 2011.
8. Shores, et al., p. 293.
9. Guttman, p. 47.
10. Shores, et al., p. 293.