A rare Great War A.F.C. group of eight awarded to Commander G. L. Lowis, Royal Navy, late Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force, a long-served pilot in Sea Scout class airships 1917-18
Air Force Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (Mid. C. L. Lowis, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. C. L. Lowis, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, generally good very fine (8) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Coldstream Guards, R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F. formed by the late Tom Baugh.

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A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

Geoffrey Lyttelton Lowis was born in August 1896 and entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in January 1914, gaining advancement to Sub. Lieutenant in January 1916. Transferring to the Royal Naval Air Service in January 1917, he commenced training in airships, making his first flight as a pilot in the S.S. 31 over Cranwell in mid-April and, having gained his certificate, was posted to Capel Airship Station that July. Between then and October 1918, Lowis amassed over 400 hours in airships of the Sea Scout class, regularly carrying out Channel patrols, escorting transports, and destroying numerous enemy mines; so, too, according to his Flying Log Book, carrying out attacks on enemy submarines - on 17 May 1918, he made three such flights against a single target and reported that ‘air bubbles rose for some time afterwards as well as oil.’ Having been appointed an Acting Captain in the newly established Royal Air Force in April 1918, he was awarded the A.F.C. and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 21 September 1918 refers), but returned to regular duty as a Naval Officer in April 1919. Placed on the Retired List as a Lieutenant in 1923, Lowis was advanced to Lieutenant-Commander (Retired) in March 1926, and was recalled on the renewal of hostilities, and attained the rank of Commander before the War’s end, having latterly served at the Liverpool escort base Defender. Placed back on the Retired List in September 1945, he later published Fabulous Admirals and Some Naval Fragments.

Sold with the recipient’s original Royal Naval Air Service Pilot’s Flying Log Books S. 1516 types, February 1915 (2), covering the periods March to April 1917, at the R.N.A.S. Station Wormwood Scrubs, and April 1917 to November 1918, with often detailed entries of his extensive career as a pilot in Sea Scout class airships. Rare.