Martinsyde G100 7486

This profile is taken from a photo in "Victoria Cross, WWI Airmen and their aircraft" by Alex Revell. The photograph bears the caption, "Martinsyde G100 7486. McNamara won his VC in this Martinsyde, which has an additional undercarriage strut." The serial is not visible in the photograph, the profile above assumes that 7486 is similar to the well photographed Martinsyde 7488. The illustrator of the Victoria Cross book, Bob Pearson based the books profile on a similar assumption. Cross and Cockade Vol.2 No.3 1971 carries the same photo but the serial is again indiscernable.

Frank McNamara was awarded the Australian Flying Corps only Victoria Cross and the only one to be awarded to an Australian airman. His log book contained the entry;

21.3.1917 0900 Martinsyde-7486, Passengers-Nil, Time-2hrs. Two BE2e's (Rutherford and Drummond), two Martinsydes (Les Ellis and self). We each took six 4.5 Howitzer shells (35lbs) to bomb a section of railway just across WADI HESSE. Shells had delay action of 40 seconds.Ellis started bombing railway and when a Hun appeared turned his attention to it. I followed him dropping 3 on train and 2 on railway. No.5 exploded prematurely wounding me in the right buttock. Planes ripped about but engine unhurt. Dropped two smoke bombs for other machines and started off home. Looked again at railway curve and saw Rutherford (2c) on ground with the smoke bomb out. Lots of smoke about. Turkish cavalry approaching 2c near railway. Switched off, landed and taxied up to Rutherford. Latter trying to burn his machine at fuselage. Yelled him to hurry. He ran up and climbed on to engine cowl in between centre bay. Opened up, turned around and started to take off. Right leg pretty dud. Machine doing about 35 mph on ground when started swinging to left. Could not counter with right foot. Swung around crashing prop, lower left plane and undercarraige. Got out fired bullet into petrol tank followed with Very Light. Rifle fire from the Turks. Started to Rutherfords BE which was not on fire yet. In landing he had ripped off a tyre, broken centre section wires, cracked a longeron, dropped a lewis drum under rudder bar. Just now the remaining 35lb shell exploded! Blowing Martinsyde to pieces. Leg pretty dud and bullets whizzing about. Reached Rutherfords machine. Sat in pilots seat, enticed stuff from under rudder bar. Rutherford gave prop a swing 'Contact' and she started. He jumped into observers seat. Turned machine around to take off. Opened up throttle. She stuck 3 tims on soft ground, then lifted off ground. Just in time to escape rush. Nearly fainted on way back. Put wind up Rutherford. Took about 1hr 20min to reach 143. Landed alright - 3 bombs still on rack. Evacuated on Hospital train 7.15 pm."

McNamara's logbook entries are printed in Cross and Cockade Vol.2 No.3 1971.