A rare Great War 1918 Albert Medal for Land awarded to Chief Mechanic A. E. Warne, 24th Wing Aeroplane Repair Section, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, for gallantry in attempting to save the life of a pilot who had crashed on landing and sent his plane into a fireball, and then returning to the flames to carry the unexploded live cartridges to safety; Warne was tragically killed in a propeller accident later that year

Albert Medal, 2nd Class, for Gallantry in Saving Life on Land, bronze and enamel, the reverse officially engraved ‘Presented by His Majesty to Flight Sergeant Albert Edgar Warne, 24th. Wing Aeroplane Repair Section, R.F.C., for Gallantry in endeavouring to save life at Spittlegate on the 26th. January 1918’, in case of issue; Memorial Plaque (Albert Edgar Warne) minor edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine (2) £6000-8000

Provenance: Sotheby’s, March 1982.

A.M. London Gazette 26 April 1918 (in a joint citation with Flight Sergeant Horace Cannon):

‘On the 26th January last, while flying in England, a pilot when attempting to land lost control of his machine, which crashed to the ground from a height of about 150 feet, and burst into flames. Flight Sergeants Warne and Cannon went to the rescue of the pilot at great personal risk, as one tank of petrol blew up and another was on fire; moreover, the machine was equipped with a belt of live cartridges, which they dragged out of the flames. They managed to extricate the pilot, who was strapped to the burning plane, but he died shortly afterwards from his injuries and burns.’

The original recommendation given by Captain H.S. Lees-Smith, Commanding ‘B’ Flight, 50 Training Squadron, Royal Flying Corps adds further detail:

‘Fatal Aeroplane Accident to 2/Lt. Machpherson. I have the honour to report and bring to your notice the action of F/Sgt. Cannon H. No. 50 T. S. and F/Sergt. Warne, A. R. S. in the clearing of the above named Pilot from the wreckage of the Aeroplane.

Lieut. F. M. Paul and myself were the first Officers to arrive at the crash. The machine was in full blaze with the Officer caught in the wreckage below the seat; both N.C.O.s were under the burning plane dragging the Officer out who was still alive although on fire.

One petrol tank blew off immediately after our arrival and the emergency tank was on fire at the same time. In addition the machine was equipped with a belt of live cartridges which they dragged out of the flames, F/Sgt. Cannon receiving burns to his hands in doing so.

This rescue was carried out at great personal risk and is in my opinion worthy of recognition.’

Albert Edgar Warne was born in Bittaford, Devon, in March 1895. He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps as an Air Mechanic 1st Class in October 1915, and advanced to Sergeant in June 1917. Warne served as an Acting Flight Sergeant with the 24th Wing Aeroplane Repair Section, Grantham, Lincolnshire. At the time of the flying accident mentioned above, 50 Training Squadron were also based at Grantham.

On 26 January 1918, Second Lieutenant A. R. Macpherson a member of 50 T.S., was ‘landing an Armstrong Whitworth (160) machine at Spittlegate... Through an error of judgement on the Pilot’s part, the machine crashed to earth from about 150 feet and burst into flames on impact.’ (Brigadier-General R. Smith Barry, Commanding Northern Training Brigade, R.F.C., recommendation refers).

Both Warne and Cannon were awarded the Albert Medal 2nd Class for Gallantry in Saving Life on Land. Cannon later exchanged his award for the George Cross. Warne was subsequently posted as a Chief Mechanic to 39 Training Depot Station, and was ‘killed as result of being struck by propellor’, 13 October 1918.

Chief Mechanic Warne is buried in St. Peter’s, Ugborough, Devon.

1 of only 14 Albert Medals in total awarded to the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force.