A DISTINGUISHED Flying Cross, the Royal Air Force’s top award to its officers for bravery in the air, goes on display at the Manx Aviation and Military Museum for the tirst time on Good Friday.
The medal was awarded to Manxman Turner Chrystal, of the well-known auction house family, for carrying out 38 bombing missions over enemy territory during the Second World War.
Along with the medal are Turner’s story, plus photographs and models of some of the aeroplanes flown by him, including an Avro Lancaster. There are also some parts of a real aeroplane, a Hampden bomber, in which Turner crashed at Jurby, fortunately without injury to any of his crew.
After the war Turner never flew again, nor did he ever travel further than England, saying he had done enough flying and seen enough of the Continent for one lifetime.
Also going on display is another RAF bravery medal, this time the top award for bravery by other ranks, the Distinguished Flying Medal, which was awarded to a Scotsman, Sergeant WG McGhee, who trained as an Air Gunner at Jurby in 1940 and then flew in Short Sunderland flying boats in the Mediterranean. He was involved in the sinking or damaging of several enemy U-boats and helped with the evacuation of women and children from the island of Malta, which was being heavily bombed by the enemy forces.
The museum houses a wide range of aviation displays, plus many others, including some focused on the island’s Home Guard, the First World War, women at war and the Royal Navy in Douglas.
It also has a special and internationally praised museum within a museum devoted to the Manx Regiment, which was the British Army’s best anti-aircraft unit of the war.
Here you can listen to the men of the regiment telling stories of their adventures and you can see the equipment which they used, including two Bofors anti-aircraft guns.
The museum is located between the airport and Castletown. It is open every weekend and on bank holidays from 10am to 4.30pm. Admission is free.