13/08/2025
On this day, 85 years ago, August 12, 1940, 27-year-old Acting Flight Lieutenant Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd of the Royal Air Force took part in a daring low-level night bombing raid against a critical target on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany.
Learoyd was the first pilot of a Handley Page Hampden aircraft in an attack aimed at destroying the canalâs aqueduct, a vital military and industrial supply route.
The mission required flying at an extremely low altitude of around 150 feet, directly through heavy anti-aircraft defenses and intense searchlight beams that lit up the night sky.
During the bombing run, Learoyd's aircraft was struck repeatedly by enemy fire, suffering severe damage including a ruptured hydraulic system which rendered the wing flaps and undercarriage useless and tore away large pieces of the main plane.
Despite being nearly blinded by the glare of searchlights and under relentless point-blank fire from guns of all calibers, Learoyd demonstrated extraordinary determination and skill, pressing home his attack.
He successfully dropped his bombs on the target, contributing to the canalâs temporary disabling.
With a badly damaged aircraft and critical flight controls inoperable, Learoyd faced the harrowing challenge of bringing his crippled plane and crew back to England.
Recognizing the risks of a night landing without functional flaps and undercarriage, he chose to circle near the aerodrome until dawn.
At first light, he executed a perfect landing, ensuring the safety of his crew and preventing further damage to the aircraft.
Roderick Learoydâs courageous leadership and conspicuous bravery in the face of overwhelming enemy fire set an example of the highest order and earned him the Victoria Cross, the British Commonwealthâs most prestigious award for gallantry. The citation published in the London Gazette praised his "highest conception of duty and complete indifference to personal danger."
Learoyd continued to serve with distinction, rising to the rank of Wing Commander.
After the war, he transitioned to civilian life working as a VIP pilot and later in the motor industry.
He retired from the RAF reserves in 1958.
Roderick Learoyd died on January 24, 1996, at the age of 82. His Victoria Cross is preserved in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London, commemorating his valor and skill during one of the most perilous bombing missions of World War II.
