Editing Gilbert Insall (section)

==First World War==
Insall was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] (on probation) in the [[Royal Flying Corps]] on 14 March 1915, during the First World War.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29125|supp=y|page=3569|date=9 April 1915}}</ref> He was appointed a Flying Officer in the RFC on 16 July, and was confirmed in his rank from the same date.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29249|page=7576|date=3 August 1915}}</ref>

Insall was 21 years old, and a second lieutenant in the [[No. 11 Squadron RFC|11 Squadron]], Royal Flying Corps when he won the [[Victoria Cross]] (VC).<ref name="PusherAces"/>

On 7 November 1915 near [[Achiet-le-Grand]], France, Second Lieutenant Insall, on patrol in [[Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus]] No. 5074 with 1st Class Air Mechanic [[T. H. Donald]], engaged an [[Aviatik]] two-seater and forced the German pilot to make a rough landing in a ploughed field. Seeing the air crew scramble out and prepare to fire, Insall dived to 500&nbsp;ft and his gunner opened fire, whereupon the Germans fled. After dropping an incendiary bomb on the downed German aircraft, Insall flew through heavy fire at 2000&nbsp;ft over enemy trenches. The Vickers' petrol tank was hit, but Insall brought the plane 500 yards back inside Allied lines for an emergency landing.  Insall and Donald stayed by the Gunbus through a bombardment of about 150 shells while awaiting nightfall. After dark, they then set to work by torch light to salvage their plane. After they repaired the machine overnight, Insall flew them back to base at dawn.<ref>{{cite book |title= ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. |pages= 19–20 }}</ref>

The announcement and accompanying citation for Insall's VC was published in a supplement to the ''[[London Gazette]]'' on 23 December 1915, reading:

{{blockquote|For most conspicuous bravery, skill and determination, on 7 November 1915, in France.  He was patrolling in a Vickers Fighting Machine, with First Class Air Mechanic T. H. Donald as gunner, when a German machine was sighted, pursued, and attacked near Achiet.

The German pilot led the Vickers machine over a rocket battery, but with great skill Lieutenant Insall dived and got to close range, when Donald fired a drum of cartridges into the German machine, stopping its engine. The German pilot then dived through a cloud, followed by Lieutenant Insall. Fire was again opened, and the German machine was brought down heavily in a ploughed field 4 miles south-east of Arras.

On seeing the Germans scramble out of their machine and prepare to fire, Lieutenant Insall dived to 500 feet, thus enabling Donald to open heavy fire on them. The Germans then fled, one helping the other, who was apparently wounded. Other Germans then commenced heavy fire, but in spite of this, Lieutenant Insall turned again, and an incendiary bomb was dropped on the German machine, which was last seen wreathed in smoke. Lieutenant Insall then headed west in order to get back over the German trenches, but as he was at only 2,000 feet altitude he dived across them for greater speed, Donald firing into the trenches as he passed over.

The German fire, however, damaged the petrol tank, and, with great coolness, Lieutenant Insall landed under cover of a wood 500 yards inside our lines.  The Germans fired some 150 shells at our machine on the ground, but without causing material damage. Much damage had, however, been caused by rifle fire, but during the night it was repaired behind screened lights, and at dawn Lieutenant Insall flew his machine home with First Class Air Mechanic T. H. Donald as a passenger.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29414|supp=y|page=12797 |date=22 December 1915}}</ref>}}

Insall could not personally receive his VC in 1915, however; he and Donald had fallen wounded into captivity on 14 December 1915 after engaging [[Hauptmann]] [[Martin Zander]] and his gunner. While in captivity, he was promoted to lieutenant, on 1 April 1916.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29563|supp=y|page=4332|date=28 April 1916}}</ref> Insall escaped on his third try, on 28 August 1917, and made it home over the Dutch border on 6 September.<ref name=PusherAces>{{cite book |title= ''Pusher Aces of World War 1''. |page= 20 }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{London Gazette|issue=30589|supp=y|page=3572|date=19 March 1918}}</ref> His VC was presented by the King on 27 September 1917.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7231819|title=WO 98/8/230: Victoria Cross details of Dartnell, Wilbur [also contains details for Gilbert Insall]|work=Discovery, the online catalogue|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]}}</ref> He returned to duty as the [[Flight Commander]] of "A" Flight, 50 Squadron, with the temporary rank of captain, on 11 January 1918.<ref name=PusherAces /><ref name="ReferenceA"/>