The Collection of Medals to the Coldstream Guards, R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F. formed by the late Tom Baugh 278
A good Second World War C.B. group of nine awarded to Air-Vice Marshal R. P. Willcock, Royal Air Force, late Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and Royal Flying Corps, who flew operationally in No. 14 Squadron (a.k.a. ‘X’ Flight) in support of Lawrence of Arabia’s desert army in Egypt and Palestine in 1916, where he was wounded in combat
THEMOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major R. P. Willcock, R.A.F.); GENERAL SERVICE 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan (S./L. R. P. Willcock, R.A.F.); DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45; JUBILEE 1935; CORONATION 1937; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Legion of Merit, Commander’s neck badge, in gilt and enamel, together with a set of related dress miniature medals, the earlier awards with contact marks and somewhat polished but generally very fine or better (18)
£1800-2200
C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1943. U.S.A. Legion of Merit London Gazette 24 January 1947. The original recommendation states:
‘Air Vice-Marshal Robert Peel Willcock, C.B., Royal Air Force, served as Deputy Head of the R.A.F’s Delegation in the United States from March 1944 to April 1946. Air Vice-Marshal Willcock served as Senior R.A.F. representative of the Combined Munitions Assignment Board, the Aviation Petroleum Products Allocation Committee and Joint Aircraft Committee. His membership on these committees made it possible for him to help carry out the provisions and spirit of the Lend-Lease Act in the best interests of both the British and American Governments. His broad knowledge and fine spirit of co-operation achieved outstanding results in the planning of Combined Allied Air Operations.’
Robert Peel Willcock was born in Salford in December 1893 and was educated at Marlborough College. Commissioned in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in November 1914, he remained employed in the U.K. until transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, and qualified as a pilot at Castle Bromwich in October 1915. Subsequently posted to the Middle East, he joined No. 14 Squadron, 5th Wing (Egypt and Palestine), and went into action in the summer of 1916. Otherwise known as ‘X’ Flight, No. 14 Squadron was given the task of directly assisting Lawrence of Arabia’s forces, operating out of advanced landing grounds in the desert and, as illustrated by the following combat report, its pilots had their fair share of air-to-air encounters with the enemy:
‘On 23 July 1916, Lieutenant Willcock, pilot, and Lieutenant West, Observer, in a de Havilland fighter, were patrolling over Romani at 6,000 feet. They observed ground signals at Romani indicating the presence of hostile aircraft. Following the direction of the arrow, they came upon the enemy machine, an Aviatik, and attacked him. He was decidedly superior in climbing power and speed. In addition to the Observer’s machine-gun, the machine was fitted with interrupter gear. His tactics, which he repeated several times, consisted in withdrawing a distance of over 20 miles over his own territory, and, when our machine lost him and was returning home, reappearing above him. Both pilot and Observer were wounded in this engagement, but although both wounded they pursued the enemy from Oghratina to Bir El Abd (a distance of 10 miles) at which point they finally lost him, flying well below them. Our machine was severely damaged. Several tracer bullets were observed to hit the enemy’s fuselage, and it is thought that he was returning in a damaged condition.’
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