Captain Albert Ball born 14th August 1896, Nottingham, England. Died 7th May 1917, Annoeullin, France.
Although eighteen other First World War pilots were awarded VC's, none had captured the public imagination as much as Albert Ball. At a time when morale was low, when the war and its casualties seemed never ending, Albert became a symbol of hope.
His individuality and his insistance on fighting alone set him apart from other fighter pilots. His invincible courage and his utter determination made him a legend not only in Britain but also amongst his enemies, to whom the sight of his lone Nieuport Scout brought fear. He was killed, in circumstances still not completely resolved, on May 7th 1917 aged just 20.
Having risen from obscurity to the top rank of contemporary fighter pilots in only 15 months. In that period he had been awarded the MC, DSO AND two Bars and was credited with
at least 44 victories. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
