A Collection of Awards to the Royal Air Force Between the Wars (1919-1939), formed by Group Captain J E Barker 804
The unique ‘Garjak Nuer’ and ‘Bomb and Mine Clearance’ campaign combination group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant F. A. Giles, Royal Air Force, who flew as a Camel pilot with 209 Squadron during the Great War - claiming one Victory, 8 October 1918, and being forced to land behind enemy lines after a dogfight just 2 days before the Armistice was signed.
Giles’ superb Log Book records his subsequent service against the Garjak Nuer tribe in the Sudan. Initially tasked with flying a replacement D.H.9 to ‘H’ Unit, his log book entries from 26 March - 1 April 1920 cover the epic flight of eight stages between Helouan and Nasser in the Sudan, some 1,800 miles, which he and his observer A.C.2. L. Humphries completed in a total flying time of 20 hours and 40 minutes. Upon arrival he was attached to ‘H’ Unit, and carried out 8 operational sorties against the tribe, also recorded at length in his log book. He served during the Second War as an Armament Officer, and after the war carried out bomb disposal duties
BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Lieut. F. A. Giles. R.A.F.); DEFENCE ANDWAR MEDALS 1939-45; GENERAL SERVICE 1918-62, 1 clasp, Bomb & Mine Clearance 1945-49 (Flt. Lt. F. A. Giles. R.A.F.); KHEDIVE’S SUDAN 1910-21, 2nd issue, 1 clasp, Garjak Nuer (F/O. F. A. Giles. R.A.F.) clasp loose on riband as issued, officially impressed naming, mounted as originally worn, generally nearly very fine (6)
£3000-4000
Provenance: Medals to Giles - The Aviation Collection, Spink, May 1998. Log Books to Giles - DNW, September 2013. Approximately 28 ‘Garjak Nuer’ clasps awarded to the Royal Air Force - 6 to officers, 22 to other ranks.
Frederick Alexander Giles was born at Trowse Newton, Norfolk, in November 1898. He originally served during the Great War with the 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment. Having advanced to Lance Corporal, Giles transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service in July 1917. He was commissioned Temporary Probationary Flight Officer and posted for initial training at R.N.A.S. Redcar later that month. There was no flying due to poor weather, and as such Giles dutifully lists in his log book the lectures and instructional workshops that he attended during the period. He received, however, an early lesson in what to use his log book for when the Senior Flying Officer at Redcar signed off his log book with ‘This is a flying log NOT a record of lectures attended.’
The weather cleared and Giles carried out pilot training, progressing to flying Gnome Avros. He records his first solo flight in the latter aircraft, ‘Take off fair. Banking good. Under-estimated aerodrome. Engine did not restart when switched on. Crashed on making forced landing 3/4 mile SE Redcar Aerodrome.’ Despite an inauspicious start, Giles gained his ‘Wings’ and was posted to R.N.A.S. Cranwell in November 1917. He carried out further training in B.E.2c’s, Bristol Scouts, Sopwith Pups and Camels.
Great War Success
Giles was posted for air firing training at R.N.A.S. Freiston in February 1918, before being appointed as an Instructor on ‘D’ Flight at Cranwell the following month. He transferred to the Royal Air Force as a Lieutenant in April 1918, and remained at Cranwell. Giles was present for the visit of the King and Queen to Cranwell, 11 April 1918, before being posted for operational flying to 209 Squadron (Camels) at Izel-le-Hameau, France, in August 1918. The Squadron were engaged in fighter and ground-attack missions along the Arras and Lens front area. As the front moved during the final stages of the war, Giles lead seven aircraft on low straffing over the Cambrai front, 8 October 1918:
‘BR Camel 4380. When diving from about 6,000 ft to drop my bombs in the district of Thun-Levêque, I met four Fokker Biplanes and a Two Seater. One I nearly collided with. Another I fired 50 rounds into, which then went SE. A third one I fired at from above and at a
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