Description
Physical description
badge & ribbon
for full description of badge design see OMD 4083.
History note
Captain John Ingles Gilmour DSO MC** Royal Flying Corps (28 June 1896 - 24 February 1928), the son of the late John J Gilmour and Mrs Gilmour Brewer, was born at Helensborough, Dumbartonshire in 1896. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 22 December 1915. In January 1916 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps. Gilmour recorded his first 'kill' on 15 September 1916 while flying a Martinsyde G 100 with No 27 Squadron over Bourlon when he shot down an Albatros D 1. Between September 1916 and July 1918, Gilmour accounted for some 39 enemy aircraft - his final 'score' being 37 with two shared.
Gilmour, who received the DSO, MC and two Bars and the Legion d'Honneur, died suddenly in London on 24 February 1928 aged thirty one. Gilmour's Military Cross was gazetted on 25 May 1917. The first Bar was gazetted on 26 July 1918 and the second on on 16 September 1918. The announcement of the award of the Distinguished Service Order appeared in the London Gazette of 3 August 1918. In addition to the DSO and MC (Ref: OMD 2454-2455) held by the Department of Exhibits and Firearms, the IWM's Department of Documents also holds a most interesting flying log book compiled by this British 'ace' covering the period January 1916 - August 1918, including flying training in the United Kingdom with No 13 (Reserve) Squadron RFC and periods as an instructor with this squadron and No 49 Squadron RFC; service in France (September 1916 - June 1917 and December 1917 - July 1918), with No 27 Squadron RFC on bombing raids and escort duties and with No 65 Squadron RFC/RAF, flying Sopwith Camels on bombing raids, escort duties and offensive patrols, and with Nos 56 and 19 Training Squadrons and No 40 Reserve Squadron RFC in England (June - December 1917), listing 37 of his claimed 'kills'; also: photocopies of a brief ts history of changes in No 65 Squadron (July 1917 - October 1918, 2pp) and of his ms/ts combat reports (December 1917 - July 1918, 3pp), accompanying certificates to his DSO, MC awards and mentions in despatches, newspaper cuttings and photos. (Ref: 80/15/1)
Medal citation: 'Lt. (T./Capt.) John Gilmour. M.C. (formerly A. & S. Highlanders). He is a most inspiriting patrol leader who has destroyed twenty-three enemy aircraft, and shot down eight others out of control. While leading an offensive patrol he shot down one enemy biplane in flames and drove down a second. A short time afterwards he, with four others, attacked about, forty enemy scouts. He himself destroyed one in the air, drove another out of control and a third in flames, successfully accounting for five enemy machines in one day.'