Eugene Esmonde | |
|---|---|
 Officers and ratings who were decorated for the part they played in the sinking of the Bismarck, pictured in front of a Fairey Swordfish aboard HMS Ark Royal. Esmonde is second from left. | |
| Born | 1 March 1909 Thurgoland, Yorkshire |
| Died | 12 February 1942 (aged 32) English Channel |
| Buried | Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force (1928–34) Royal Navy (1939–42) |
| Years of service | 1928–1934 1939–1942 |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Commands | 825 Naval Air Squadron (1940–42) 754 Naval Air Squadron (1939) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in dispatches |
| Relations | John Joseph Esmonde (father) Sir John Esmonde, 14th Baronet (brother) Sir Anthony Esmonde, 15th Baronet (brother) Thomas Esmonde (great-uncle) |
Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, VC, DSO (1 March 1909 – 12 February 1942) was a distinguished Irish pilot in the Fleet Air Arm who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to members of Commonwealth forces. Esmonde earned this award while in command of a torpedo bomber squadron in the Second World War - in an action known as Operation Fuller, the 'Channel Dash’.