An emotive Great War ace’s M.C. group of four awarded to Major R. Raymond-Barker, Royal Flying Corps, who was shot down in flames by Manfred von Richthofen on 20 April 1918: this proved to be the “Red Baron’s” penultimate victory, for he, too, was killed in action just 24 hours later

Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (2 Lieut., R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Major, R.A.F.), generally good very fine (4) £4000-5000

M.C. London Gazette 17 September 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when leading a fighting patrol. He attacked a large hostile formation, destroying two of them. He has also done excellent work in leading distant photographic reconnaissances, notably upon two occasions when his skilful leadership enabled photographs to be taken of all the required hostile area inspite of repeated attacks from enemy aircraft. He has helped to destroy seven machines, and has at all times displayed conspicuous skill and gallantry.’

Richmond Raymond-Barker, who was born in May 1894, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in November 1914 and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1915. Awarded his “Wings” that October, he was sent to France and served in No. 6 and No. 16 Squadrons until late 1916, when he was rested.

Returning to the Front in May 1917, he was posted to No. 48 Squadron as a Flight Commander, flying Bristol Fighters, and quickly found his form on the 20th when he shared in the destruction of a brace of Albatros DIIIs over Brebieres. Six days later, he personally accounted for another Albatros over the same area, and, on 5 June, east of Bullecourt, yet another enemy aircraft fell to his guns. Then in early July he transferred to No. 11 Squadron, another Bristol Fighter unit, and claimed an Albatros DV over Bohain on the 8th, and an Albatros DIII over Inchy on the 17th. He was awarded the M.C.

In September 1917, Raymond-Barker was appointed to the command of No. 3 Squadron, in which role he served until his death in action on 20 April 1918, an event best summarised in Von Richthofen and the Flying Circus, by H. J. Nowarra and K. S. Brown:

‘Although there was rain too on the 20th, the penultimate day of Richthofen’s life, twice as many flights were possible, and on one of them Richthofen scored twice. He was now flying Dr. I 425/17; although he may have received it a week or so before, this was his first recorded flight on this triplane. It was an evening flight, made as the weather improved at the close of a showery April day. Once again, when leading a select few from Jasta 11, a flight of Camels was sighted before the lines were reached and Richthofen led into an attack. In this he was at first thwarted.

Two flights of six machines from No. 3 Squadron, R.A.F., had set out, but owing to heavy cloud the two flights became separated. It was ‘C’ Flight which Richthofen had spotted, led by Captain D. Bell, but including as a flight member the Commanding Officer, Major Raymond-Barker. Bell, keeping a good look-out observed the triplanes moving in and immediately brought his flight round to meet them head-on. No sooner had they passed than Richthofen had banked round quickly on to a Camel’s tail. It happened to be the Major’s machine, which, after only a few bullets struck it, went down burning to fall near a wood.

Another ‘C’ Flight member, nineteen-year-old Second Lieutenant Lewis, was attacking a triplane finished in a bluish scheme, when Richthofen, returning from the first attack, turned towards him. Lewis, by the colour of the red triplane, guessed that his adversary was Richthofen and used every trick and manoeuvre to evade. He almost succeeded and once he thought that his own bullets had struck Richthofen’s machine. Diving and banking, the minutes seemed like hours, but within three minutes of the Major’s demise Lewis was diving earthwards with his seven-gallon gravity tank alight. Richthofen, reporting that the fuselage of the machine burned in the air and the remains dashed to the ground north-east of Villers-Bretonneux, could hardly have doubted that his second victim, too, died. Happily it was not so and his eightieth victim now resides in Salisbury, Rhodesia.

Lewis, by his own account, hit the ground at something like 60 m.p.h. Thrown clear, he found that apart from minor burns and superficial cuts and bruises, he was not badly injured. His Camel, B7393 (110 h.p. Le Rhone No. 101026 W.D. 10398), was completely wrecked. Only fifty yards away, Major Raymond-Barker’s Camel D6439 (110 h.p. Le Rhone No. 9204 W.D. 31691), was blazing furiously. Staggering to it, Lewis found it impossible to drag his C.O. out. In any case, it was almost certainly too late. His own machine was still burning and as he stood between the two blazing wrecks he saw a flight of S.E. 5As come to the rescue of the remaining Camels. In withdrawing, one of the enemy triplanes came low over the two wrecks, the pilot waving. Presumably this was Richthofen, viewing the wreckage of his eightieth - and last - victim. If so, he probably imagined that Lewis was one of the German soldiers who soon arrived on the scene, for the tone of his report suggests that he regarded his two opponents as finis.’

The remains of the gallant Raymond-Barker - clearly a Squadron C.O. who liked to lead from the front, when other duties and responsibilities may have excused him operational flying - were never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial at the Pas de Calais, France.