Battle of Britain London Monument – Lt. (FAA) R A BIRD 
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN LONDON MONUMENT 
"Never in the field of human
conflict was so much owed
by so many to so few." 
Contact Information How to Contribute Latest News Home 
About The Monument
– History of the Project
– The Monument Now
– Visitor Information
– Airmens names listed by country of origin
Airmens stories
Privacy Statement The Airmen’s Stories – Lt. (FAA) R A Bird
Ronald Arthur Bird, from Largs, Ayrshire, was a graduate of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1937.
He was posted to 804 Squadron at Hatston on 1st July 1940. The squadron was seconded to Fighter Command and its Sea Gladiators were employed on dockyard defence. 804 was later reformed as a Catapult Fighter Unit.
On 4th October 1941 Bird was launched in a Fulmar from the Ariguani against a Fw200 Condor which he intercepted and damaged.
Bird was awarded the DSC (gazetted 26th June 1945) for ‘courage, daring and tenacity in air strikes whilst serving with HMS Searcher off Norway’.
On 26th March 1945 Bird and other Wildcats from 882 Squadron had been escorting a flight of Avengers off the Norwegian coast. They were intercepted by Me109G’s.
Bird was credited with one destroyed and another damaged.
He was awarded a Bar to the DSC (gazetted 7th August 1945) for ‘outstanding courage in air attacks against U-boat bases at Kilbotn, Norway’.
On 10th April 1946 Bird was killed in a flying accident whilst serving in HMS Gannet, the FAA station at Prestwick, aged 29. His Seafire broke up in the air.
He is commemorated on the Fleet Air Arm Memorial at Lee-on-Solent.
Battle of Britain Monument © Battle of Britain Archive 2007 – Email: info@bbm.org.uk Site management by Consult-X and Altroy