A Fine Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force (Part II) 461
A poignant Great War campaign group of three awarded to Air Mechanic 2nd Class H. F. Matthews, who was killed in action in September 1917 while serving as an Observer in No. 20 Squadron, when his aircraft was shot down in flames by German ace Leutnant Werner Voss - a fortnight later after raising his score to 48, Voss was himself shot down and killed
1914-15 STAR (1712 2-A.M. H. F. Matthews, R.F.C.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (1712 Pte. H. F. Matthews, R.F.C.), extremely fine (3)
£500-600
Herbert Frederick Matthews was killed in action on 6 September 1917, while serving as Observer to Lieutenant J. O. Pilkington in a F.E. 2d of No. 20 Squadron. On that fateful day, Captain F. D. “Inky” Stevens was leading four squadron aircraft on a patrol S.E. of Ypres when they were intercepted by five Albatros Scouts and a Fokker Triplane over Boesdinghe. The latter aircraft, piloted by Werner Voss, was seen to get on the tail of Matthews’ aircraft as it was busy engaging one of the Albatros Scouts, and the German ace’s fire quickly sent the F.E. 2d down in flames.
Matthews, who was born in Sutton, Surrey, in 1893, had enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914 and first went out to France in the following year. By early 1917 he was serving in No. 2 Squadron, as illustrated by the following combat report submitted by his pilot Lieutenant J. B. E. Crosbee:
‘When on photography over H. 16 our machine was attacked by three Halbarstadters, apparently, who came through clouds close to our machine, probably having seen A.A. fire above the clouds. Two hostile aircraft dived at us and opened fire, the third following more slowly. After turning our machine so as to engage the hostile aircraft, our machine-gun fell off the rear mounting owing to the clip slipping off the pistol grip and the wind getting under the drum. Our camera also broke away from the mounting through either being hit by the falling gun or by a machine-gun bullet from the hostile machines. It is unknown which side of the lines the camera and gun fell. Being then unarmed, a steep spiral was done, followed by two hostile aircraft, to 5,000 feet and by one to 3,500 feet over C. 12. On several friendly aircraft crossing the line from the West, the hostile aircraft made off S.W. and climbed.’
Having then transferred to No. 20 Squadron, Matthews was killed in action, as stated, on 6 September 1917. He was 22 years of age and is buried with his pilot in Bailleul Communal Cemetery, France; sold with a file of research.
462
A poignant Great War pair awarded to Mechanic 2nd Class R. Hickling, Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in action in May 1917 while serving as an Observer in a B.E. 2c of No. 13 Squadron, his aircraft being shot down by German ace and “Blue Max” holder Leutnant Karl Allmenroder
BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (77687 Pte. R. Hickling, R.F.C.), together with the recipient’s MEMORIAL PLAQUE (Reginald Hickling), this last pierced at 12 o’clock, otherwise good very fine (3)
£500-600
Reginald Hickling, who was born in 1888 and from Lambeth Castle in Co. Durham, originally enlisted in the 22nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (Pioneers) in March 1915, but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in June 1916, and thence, in March 1917, joined No. 13 Squadron out in France.
And he was subsequently killed in action on 7 May 1917, when engaged on a photographic mission for XVII Corps over Fresnoy. According to contemporary sources, he and his pilot, 2nd Lieutenant I. R. Owen, became embroiled in an unequal contest with five enemy aircraft of Jasta 11, and one of them, piloted by German ace and “Blue Max” holder Leutnant Karl Allmenroder, shot them down.
Major Powell, C.O. of No. 13 Squadron, afterwards wrote to Owen’s parents:
‘He left the aerodrome about 11 a.m. and was out on photography with our best gunner observer [Hickling] and, as far as we can hear, was attacked by five hostile machines. His observer was shot dead, and your son was shot in the head and chest. He seems to have remained conscious long enough to land his machine without an accident, when he landed just inside our lines about two o’clock. He died very soon afterwards in the field ambulance.’
Hickling is buried in the Albuera Cemetery at Bailleul-Sire-Berthoult in the Pas de Calais; sold with copied research.
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