His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to Lieut, (actg. Capt.) Ferdinand Maurice Felix West, M.C., Royal Air Force (formerly of the Special Reserve, Royal Munster Fusiliers), in recognition of his outstanding bravery in aerial combat. Captain West, while engaging hostile troops at a low altitude far over the enemy lines, was attacked by seven aircraft. Early in the engagement one of his legs was partially severed by an explosive bullet, and fell powerless into the controls, rendering the machine for the time unmanageable. Lifting his disabled leg, he regained control of the machine, and, although wounded in the other leg, he, with surpassing bravery and devotion to duty, manoeuvred his machine so skilfully that his observer was enabled to get several good bursts into the enemy machines, which drove them away. Captain West then, with rare courage, and determination, desperately wounded as he was, brought his machine over our lines and landed safely. Exhausted by his exertions, he fainted, but on regaining consciousness insisted on writing his report. (The award of the Military Cross was gazetted on 26th July, 1918.)
His autobiography is Winged Diplomat by P R Reid, published in 1962. Some years ago the RAF Museum sold prints of AWFK 8 C8584, autographed by West and his observer, Lt J Haslam, with the caption that this was the aeroplane from No 8 Sqn RFC (sic) flown by West on 8 August 1918. Like many others, I bought one and it's now framed in my study. Alas, C8584 was written off in April, and the VC deed took place when the pair were flying C8602. Gareth
