An O.B.E. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant C. H. Tancred, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.A.F.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (F./O., R.A.F.), generally good very fine and the last scarce (4) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the R.F.C. and R.A.F. formed by Wing Commander Bill Traynor.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1923.

Christopher Humphrey Tancred was born in London in May 1888, the grandson of Sir Thomas Tancred, 7th Baronet, of Boroughbridge in Yorkshire, and was educated at Westminster.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in October 1914, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in the following year and qualified as a pilot in October 1915 (Aviator’s Certificate No. 1902). As confirmed by official records, however, he was involved in a flying accident that December, as a result of which, following assorted medical boards, he was “grounded”. He was subsequently employed as an Equipment and Administrative Officer, and was advanced to the acting rank of Captain in May 1918. Then, having served as a Staff Officer in Palestine, and been awarded the M.B.E. (London Gazette 10 October 1919 refers), he was posted to Mesopotamia Group, R.A.F. in November 1920 and, in October 1921, after being advanced to Flight Lieutenant, to H.Q. Baghdad, on Personnel Staff Duties.

Tancred returned to the U.K. in the following year to take up an appointment as a Recruiting Officer, was awarded the O.B.E. and was placed on the Reserve of Air Force Officers in December 1924. He died in September 1971.