Campaign Groups and Pairs 210
A rare group awarded to one of Commander C. R. Samson’s ‘Dunkirk Circus’ or the ‘Motorised Bandits’ as they were also known - Chief Petty Officer Mechanic (Armourer) Rowland Harper, Royal Naval Air Service, a qualified pilot who was severely wounded whilst manning a machine-gun in an ‘armed car’ which was ambushed by the Germans on 27 September 1914, during the Douai operations in support of the French; being too badly wounded to be evacuated he was taken prisoner when the Germans took Douai a few days later and was eventually interned in Switzerland for the duration of the war, later transferring to the Royal Air Force as a Master Mechanic
1914 Star, with clasp (344641 R. Harper, C.P.O. Mech. R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaves (314227 M. Mech. R. Harper. R.A.F.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (344641. Rowland Harper, C.P.O. 2Cl. H.M.S. President II) mounted as worn, good very fine (4)
£400-£600
M.I.D. London Gazette 27 October 1919: ‘C.P.O. Mechanic Rowland Harper, R.N.A.S. For valuable service in the prosecution of the war.’
Rowland Harper was born at Chorley, Lancashire, on 21 March 1880, and joined the Royal Navy as Armourer’s Crew on 9 October 1901. He advanced to Armourer’s Mate in June 1910, to Armourer in October 1913, and to Chief Petty Officer Mechanic 3rd Class in July 1914. His early R.N.A.S. career is best given in his own words from Switzerland in November 1918, to the Accountant Officer at H.M.S. President V, when he was trying to get transferred to the Royal Air Force:
‘I respectfully beg to acknowledge your letter of Oct. 22nd, in which you say the Admiralty now inform you that I did not belong to the Royal Naval Air Service, but to the Armoured Cars Division, and so shall not be transferred to the Royal Air Force. Do you think this will make any difference to my future prospects, as it is a mistake on someone’s part, of that I am sure. As far as I know up to the date of my being wounded, Sept. 27th 1914, there was no Armoured Car Division. Certainly I was wounded in an armoured car, but belonged to the Royal Naval Flying Corps.
I wish to state how I joined the R.N.F. Corps. In March 1912 whilst serving on H.M.S. Seagull at Portsmouth ‘as an armourer’ a general signal was made asking for 3 Shipwrights and an Armourer Rating with Petrol Motor knowledge to volunteer for service with the Naval Flying Corps. I volunteered and was accepted, joining the R.N.F. Corps at Eastchurch, Sheerness in April 1912. In Aug. 1913 I was awarded the Royal Aero Club Flying Certificate No 611, taken on No. 2 Short Biplane, being then paid for this certificate & classed as a 2nd class pilot of the Naval F. Corps.
On the outbreak of hostilities August 1914 I was sent to the north of England and did quite a lot of flying as passenger on coast patrol duties, returning to Eastchurch after about 14 days, then proceeding to France. There I took part in several small engagements in a car commanded by Commander Samson.
On Sept. 27th, I and Air Mechanic L. W. Walsh were badly [wounded] in a car outside Douai. Officer i.c. of Car Captain Williams, Royal Marines. Whilst in hospital Douai I was visited by several Naval Flying Corps officers. On Wednesday Sep. 30th ‘14 I was visited by C.P.O. Bradford R.N.F. Corps who brought me parcels, letters, & Money due to me. At noon on Oct. 1st we were told the enemy was about to take Douai & we were placed in a motor-car & sent towards Lille. After proceeding about 4 miles in this direction we were compelled to return as the enemy had possession of all the roads & we were then placed in the Military Hospital Douai; two hours afterwards the enemy entered the town & we became prisoners.’
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