Died: 17th September 1919, aged 22. Reported missing, presumed killed, whilst flying from HMS Vindictive. He went out to Russia in August of 1919, with a detachment of airmen to help to get the British troops out of Russia. He was last seen on a raid upon Kronstadt. The last pilot to leave the scene reported that he saw a green light flash from an aeroplane on the north side of the island. This was a signal of distress, and meant, “Engine unsatisfactory, going home”. The RAF casualty record states that he was brought down by Bolshevik gunfire.

Commissioned at 18, just after leaving St. John’s, Leatherhead, he served in France, Salonika, Egypt (R.A.F.) and was instructor in the R.A.F. before going out to Russia. He was one of a squadron of airmen who helped to raise millions of pounds by exhibitions in Scotland.

He is remembered on the Archangel Memorial in Russia. The Archangel Memorial commemorates 219 British officers and men who died during the North Russian Campaign and whose graves are not known. Archangel, in the north of the Russian Federation, is a town on the eastern side of the Dvina Estuary on the White Sea. The Memorial is at the far end of Archangel Allied Cemetery, which is on the north-west outskirts of the town of Archangel, adjoining the Lutheran and Russian cemeteries and memorials to those who died in more recent actions.

After the abdication of the Tsar, the provisional government of Kerensky tried to continue the fight on the Eastern front against Germany. Britain and America sent supplies to Archangel and established the British north Russia Squadron. When the Bolsheviks took over, Lenin withdrew Russia from all wars at the treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918). Germany landed troops in Finland and there were fears that both Murmansk and Archangel would be captured by the Germans, allowing war supplies to fall into German hands. British forces were also sent to Murmansk, officially to help with the withdrawal of equipment . The British Royal Air Force contingent comprised Airco DH.4 bombers, Fairey Campania and the Sopwith Baby seaplanes along with a single Sopwith Camel fighter. Support for the ‘White Russian’ forces against the Bolsheviks continued into 1919 but it was fragmented; not popular and used scarce resources desperately needed in postwar reconstruction. The allied troops finally withdrew in March 1920. However, amongst the dead was Lieutenant Francis John Unwin. This was a double tragedy for his parents because in September 1918, they had lost another son, Sub-Lt. Edward George Unwin RN.