Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War A.F.C. group of three awarded to Squadron Leader R. K. Tailyour, Canadian Air Force, late Imperial Yeomanry, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who was killed in a flying accident at Camp Borden, Ontario in April 1921: between service appointments, he had flown as a display pilot and “barnstormer” in Canada

Air Force Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued, in its John Pinches case of issue; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. R. K. Tailyour, Imp. Yeo.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt. R. K. Tailyour, R.A.F.), good very fine (3) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals relating to the Boer War formed by two brothers.

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A.F.C. London Gazette 5 June 1919:

‘In recognition of distinguished services rendered in the War.’

Robert Keith Tailyour, who was born in Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, in 1882, was commissioned in the Mid-Ulster Artillery (Royal Garrison Artillery, Militia) in August 1900, but transferred to the Imperial Yeomanry and served as a Lieutenant in the 49th (Montgomeryshire) and 29th (Denbighshire) Companies during the Boer War - the published roll does not confirm his dated clasps.

Tailyour resigned his commission in December 1903 and went into business in Canada, working for the Hudson Motor Company 1912-13 and the Phoenix Motor Company of Edmonton 1913-14, prior to returning to the U.K. and gaining appointment as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in December 1916. In the following year, however, after service in a Reserve Brigade of the R.F.A. in Newcastle, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and was appointed a Flying Officer at No. 28 Training School in June 1917. He subsequently served as an instructor at No. 55 Training School for the duration of the War, flying Avros and Sopwiths, work that gained him his A.F.C. and entitlement to a single British War Medal.

On returning to Canada after the War, Tailyour and a friend, Jock MacNeill, formed a company called The Edmonton Aircraft Company. Tailyour was the pilot and manager of the company which offered return trips from Edmonton to Calgary for C$40 and C$60 for a return trip to Peace River. But because there were no takers for the longer trips, Tailyour was at work in the spring of 1920 travelling to fairs to perform flying stunts and was one of the original “barnstormers”.

But with dwindling income, it would appear he joined the fledgling Canadian Air Force, in which capacity he was subsequently killed in a flying accident at Camp Borden, the historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, an incident reported in the Toronto Star, dated 12 April 1921:

‘Pilot Crashed to Death from Height of 1,500 feet’

Ottawa - April 12: Squadron Leader Keith Taylor A.F.C., Canadian Air Force, was killed in a flying accident at Camp Borden yesterday. A full report of the accident has not yet been received but he was flying during the forenoon and at the time of the accident his machine was at a height of 1,500 feet. The dead officer leaves a wife and one child who were residing with him at the camp. His home was in Edmonton, Alberta. he had been an instructor at Camp Borden since last August.’


Sold with the recipient’s Army & Navy Stores leather medical travelling case, with several miniature medicine bottles, and a file of related research, including copied images of the wreckage of his aircraft, funeral procession and headstone.