Hughie Edwards was born in Fremantle, Western Australia, on 1 August 1914. Having initially joined the Australian Army, he then transferred to and trained with the RAAF in 1935. He then took a short service commission in the Royal Air Force in 1936.
On 4 July 1941, Edwards led a 12-bomber low-level attack on the heavily defended German port city of Bremen. To get to its target the formation flew under high-tension wires and through a balloon barrage. As the raid was in full daylight with no cloud cover, all 12 aircraft were hit by anti-aircraft fire; four were shot down. His own Blenheim bomber was hit more than 20 times, but Edwards managed to return to England.
During the raid, Edwards displayed the highest possible standard of gallantry and determination, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
He went on to hold senior RAF appointments, including station commander at RAF Habbaniya in modern-day Iraq and commander of the Central Fighter Establishment. He retired from the RAF in 1963 as an Air Commodore.
From 7 January 1974 to 2 April 1975 he served as Governor of Western Australia. He died in Sydney on 5 August 1982, aged 68.
Air Commodore Edwards’ Victoria Cross is held by the Australian War Memorial, Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Story courtesy of Jim Campbell
