Pair: Second Lieutenant A. Tapping, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who served as a Handley Page O/400 pilot with 215 Squadron, Independent Force, and was taken prisoner of war during ‘Black September’ 1918

British War and Victory Medals (2/Lieut. A. Tapping. R.A.F.) remnants of adhesive to reverse of BWM, generally good very fine £200-£240

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 2001.

Alfred Tapping was born in December 1894, and was a native of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, where he worked as a motor mechanic. Tapping initially enlisted as a Private in the 54th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, before transferring to the Royal Air Force as a Cadet at the beginning of 1918.

Tapping was posted as a pilot to 215 Squadron (Handley Page O/400’s) as part of Independent Force operating from France. He was reported missing in action whilst on night bombing operations at Courcelles, 14/15 September 1918. Tapping and his two other crew members were all confirmed as being taken prisoner of war, and he was repatriated upon the cessation of hostilities.

The month of September 1918 was known as ‘Black September’ due to the large number of losses suffered by the Allied Air Forces.