Jeffery Day

Jeffery Day, as he was commonly known, was born in St. Ives, Huntingdonshire, one of four children born to George Dennis Day (1860–1945), a solicitor, and his wife Margaret Jane (née Davis) (1862–1945).[2] He was educated at Sandroyd and Repton Schools.[3]

Day joined the Royal Navy as a probationary flight sub-lieutenant, and was confirmed in the rank of flight sub-lieutenant on 21 August 1915.[4] He received the Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate No. 1949 after flying a Caudron biplane at the Royal Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, on 2 October 1915.[5]

He was first stationed aboard the seaplane carrier Vindex, part of the Harwich Force, where he gained a reputation as a skilled and daring flyer,[6] and was promoted to flight lieutenant on 31 December 1916.[7] Day chafed at the lack of activity at Harwich, and gained a transfer to the light cruiser Cassandra.[8] Following her grounding in August 1917, he was posted to the experimental air station at RNAS Kingsnorth on the Isle of Grain.[9]

Day was already an experienced pilot when he joined No. 13 Squadron RNAS, based at Dunkirk, on 19 December 1917. Between 3 January and 19 February 1918 he scored five victories while flying a Sopwith Camel.[1] On 27 February, he was shot down in flames into the sea about 25 miles west of Dunkirk by a German seaplane.[10]

According to his commanding officer's report:

"...He was shot down by six German aircraft which he attacked single-handed, out to sea. He had out-distanced his flight, I think because he wished to break the [enemy's] formation, in order to make it easier for the less experienced people behind him to attack. He hit the enemy and they hit his machine, which burst into flames; but, not a bit flurried, he nose-dived, flattened out, and landed perfectly on the water. He climbed out of his machine and waved his fellow-pilots back to their base; being in aeroplanes [not sea-planes] they could not assist him."[11]

A search was immediately launched, but no trace of him was found.[11] Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, England.[12]

Distinguished Service Cross

Flight Lieutenant (acting Flight Commander) Miles Jeffrey Game Day, RNAS (since killed).

For great skill and bravery as a fighting pilot. On 25 January he attacked, single-handed, six enemy triplanes, one of which he shot down. On 2 February 1918 he attacked and destroyed an enemy two-seater machine on reconnaissance at 18,000 feet. He destroyed several enemy machines in a short space of time, and, in addition, had numerous indecisive engagements.[13]

Day began writing poetry during his spare time, initially humorous verses for his fellow officers in the style of W. S. Gilbert,[14] but later, inspired by Rupert Brooke's The Old Vicarage, Grantchester, he began to compose longer serious poems.[6] Only three of these; "On the Wings of the Morning", "An Airman's Dream" and part of "To My Brother", were published in his lifetime, the first in Cornhill, and the other two in The Spectator.[15] "To My Brother" was inspired by the death of his older brother Dennis Ivor Day, who was serving as a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery when he was shot by a sniper at Vermelles on 25 September 1915, finally dying from the injury on 7 October.[2]

Day's collected poems were published post-war, and two of his poems were anthologized in A Treasury of War Poetry, British and American Poems of the World War, 1914-1919, edited by George Herbert Clarke,[16] and also in Cambridge Poets 1914-1920: an Anthology, compiled by Edward Davison, published in 1920.[17]

Notes

Bibliography

• Day, Jeffery (1919). Poems and Rhymes. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd. Retrieved 18 November 2014.