Unsurpassed Gallantry We Must Never Forget
Navy Wings Ambassador, Helen Esmonde, the niece of Channel Dash Hero, Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde VC DSO pays tribute to her uncle.
“I was very privileged to be invited to fly in the Swordfish a few years ago in honour of my Uncle, Eugene Esmonde. This was an extraordinary experience,” said Helen
“My uncle led an attack on three of Hitler’s most formidable battleships as they broke cover from Brest making a dash up the Channel for Germany. Eugene commanded a squadron of six Swordfish and although he was an experienced Swordfish pilot, they faced overwhelming odds. Their incredible gallantry, unflinching acceptance of the fight and determination to deliver their attacks, even though they had been hit and were ablaze, was in the finest tradition of the Fleet Air Arm.”