Orders, Decorations and Medals

Family group:

A Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot’s group of three awarded to Flight Lieutenant A. F. Vokes, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who damaged a Do. 17 on 9 September 1940 and probably destroyed an Me. 110 six days later: having then held temporary command of No. 19 Squadron following the death in action of his C.O. and a fellow Flight Commander, he was killed in a flying accident in September 1941

1939-45 Star, tailor’s copy clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, in their original forwarding box, post-marked 16 May 1951 and addressed to his father, F. C. Vokes at Erdington, Birmingham, together with Air Ministry condolence slip in the name of ‘Flight Lieutenant A. F. Vokes’, and gilt metal R.A.F. Wings taken from his officer’s cap badge, good very fine or better (4)

Pair: 2nd Lieutenant F. C. Vokes, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, late Royal Marines, father of Flight Lieutenant A. F. Vokes

British War Medal 1914-20 (DEAL 620-S. Spr. F. C. Vokes, R.M.); Coronation 1953, in its card box of issue, together with pair of related miniature dress medals, good very fine and better (8) £1200-1500

Arthur Frank Vokes was born in Birmingham in 1917 and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in May 1938, as an airman for pilot training. Qualifying for his “Wings” at R.A.F. Sywell, he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in early June 1940 and posted to No. 19 Squadron at Fowlmere later that month.

Equipped with the first cannon-armed Spitfires (Mark IBs), the Squadron went into action in the following month, operating out of Duxford and Eastchurch, in addition to Fowlmere, but had a difficult time due to frequent cannon-stoppages, so much so that it reverted to tried and tested Spitfire IAs of the machine-gun variety that September: Vokes duly damaged a Do. 17 on the 9th, probably destroyed a Me. 110 on the 15th, and shared a Me. 110 on 15 November.

Remaining in No. 19 Squadron, he was advanced to Flying Officer in June 1941, in which month he was also appointed a Flight Commander, an advancement that resulted in him assuming temporary command of the Squadron that August, when his fellow Flight Commander, Flight Lieutenant W. “Jock” Cunningham, D.F.C., and C.O., Squadron Leader W. J. “Farmer” Lawson, D.F.C., were both shot down in a low-level strike against enemy shipping in Rotterdam harbour on the 28th. But his tenure of command was short-lived, for he was killed when his Spitfire crashed in poor weather during a flight between Coltishall and Matlask on 5 September. Aged 23 years, he was buried in Great Bricham (St. Mary) Churchyard.

Frank Charles Vokes was born in Birmingham in July 1885 and enlisted in the Royal Marines in October 1914. An engineer by profession, he was appointed a Sapper, but never went overseas and was entitled to a single British War Medal 1914-20 - he served latterly as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 12th (Service) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in Eastern Command, and was demobilised at the end of 1918. Obviously a talented engineer, he must have followed his son’s flying career with great interest and, no doubt, played a part in the design and production of the Spitfire’s Vokes air-filter system. He later held an appointment on the Birmingham Tame and Rea District Drainage Board, in which capacity he was awarded the Coronation Medal in 1953 (the official roll refers).