Originally Posted by
Gordon Brown
Anybody able to post his citation? He's not a name I recognise.
On 9 December 1941 all the available aircraft at RAF Butterworth were ordered to make a daylight raid on the Japanese airfield at Signora in Thailand. The aircraft were on the point of taking off when the enemy attacked the airfield and with the exception of Squadron Leader Scarf’s aircraft, which had already taken off, all the aircraft were either badly damaged or destroyed while still on the ground. Squadron Leader Scarf witnessed the destruction below and decided that he would continue the attack on his own. This he successfully did but the opposition over the target was severe and he was attacked by a considerable number of enemy fighters. Even though seriously wounded, he continued to engage the enemy in a running fight back to the Malaysian border in an attempt to return to Butterworth. However, because of the seriousness of his wounds he was unable to reach his destination and had to force-land at Alor Star on the way. Squadron Leader Scarf completed his forced-landing without causing any injury to his crew, but although he himself was admitted to hospital, Squadron Leader Scarf eventually died of his wounds.
From:
https://www.vc10.net/History/VictoriaCross.html#Scarf
More about Arthur Scarf VC here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Scarf