Lieutenant Stuart Douglas CULLEY DSO - Royal Air Force

Discussion in 'World War 1' started by liverpool annie, May 16, 2009.

  1. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    Lieutenant Stuart Douglas CULLEY Royal Air Force Distinguished Service Order - ( LG dated 2 November 1918 )

    Born 23 August 1895 - in Omaha, Nebraska of English father and Canadian mother - educated in California and Vermont
    Joined RNAS in Ottawa, 19 April 1917 -
    in UK 21 May 1917 -
    at Calshot 10 November 1917 -
    at Falmouth, 23 February 1918 -
    to Felixstowe in autumn of 1918 -

    Appointed to permanent commission in the RAF 1 August 1919 in rank of Flying Officer
    Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 1 January 1924.
    To RAF Depot on transfer to Home Establishment, 10 January 1924.

    As of 14 March 1933, S/L S.D. Culley, DSO, posted to No.39 (Bomber) Squadron Risalpur to command

    "On August 10 1918 Lt SD Culley flying Sopwith Camel N6812 - shot down German Naval airship N6812 - he had taken off from a lighter being towed by the Destroyer HMS Redoubt"

    Here are also two picture postcards from the time, and a brooch believed to have been made from a piece of metal salvaged from the wreckage
     

    Attached Files:

  2. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    I have been looking for the Lieutenant's obituary ... I believe he died in 1975 ..... if anybody can find it - I'd appreciate it !
     
  3. Adrian Roberts

    Adrian Roberts Active Member

    The Zeppelin concerned was L53. AFAIK it crashed into the sea, so I don't think the photo here can be of that vessel's wreckage.

    Culley's Camel N6812 is preserved in the Imperial War Museum in London.

    I would also be interested to know about his later career and when he died.
     
  4. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

  5. Dolphin

    Dolphin New Member

    F/L S D Culley was a busy man in 1919,flying Sopwith 2F.1 Camels from HMS Vindictive in the Baltic during the post-Armistice operations there against Russian Bolsheviks and various others:

    on 2 October, flying N7119, he bombed the Bolshevik ship Andrei Pervosvanny in dry dock at Kronstadt;

    on 6 October, flying N6612, he bombed a railway station near Petrograd;

    on 14 October, flying N7140, he bombed Krasnaya Gorka and machine gunned a Bolshevik fort;

    on 18 October, flying N7140, he bombed Fort No 5 at Kronstadt;

    on 16 October, flying N7106, he bombed a Bolshevik destroyer off Krasnaya Gorka;

    on 18 October, flying N7140, he bombed Krasnaya Gorka and attacked a kite balloon;

    on 20 October, flying N7140, he bombed Krasnaya Gorka;

    on 25 October, flying N6767, he attacked a kite balloon;

    on 29 October, flying N8184, he bombed and machine gunned a Bolshevik destroyer.

    A busy man!

    Gareth
     
  6. liverpool annie

    liverpool annie New Member

    Here's a few snippets and his obituary .... seems he ended up living in Italy !! :)
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Emily

    Emily New Member

    Stuart is a distant relation of mine, possibly my great Granny's cousin. I'm currently trying to research the Culley' s and this info is amazing!
     

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