As soon as Squadron-Commander Richard Bell-Davies saw a fellow pilot crash land, he knew he had to act fast. Davies daringly landed his own plane in enemy territory to save Flt. Sub-Lt. Gilbert Formby Smylie’s life. His actions that day would become the first time in history that an aircraft performed a combat search and rescue.
Richard Davies was born in Kensington, West London, on May 19, 1886. He was orphaned at the age of 5, so he was raised by his maternal uncle, who was a doctor. Davies attended Bradfield College for two years before joining the Royal Navy at 15-years-old.
