Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Great War D.F.C. and Bar awarded to Major-General C. J. Venter, South African Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, a 16-victory ace who was shot down in August 1918 and taken P.O.W.

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, in its Pinches case of issue, extremely fine, together with the recipient’s original Great War flying gloves, bearing his initials, his R.F.C. silk scarf and a gold tipped swagger stick bearing the insignia of the S.A.A.F. and inscribed with his name, and original 1918 Field Order announcing the award of the Bar to his D.F.C. (Lot) £1500-2000

D.F.C. London Gazette 3 August 1918:

‘During recent operations this Officer shot down five enemy aeroplanes, one of which he followed down to 500 feet, when it was seen to fall. He is a bold and skilful airman.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 2 November 1918:

‘A brilliant patrol leader, who has since May last destroyed eleven enemy machines. In an engagement between six of our machines and nine of the enemy, five of the latter were destroyed, Captain Venter accounting for one. Later on the same day he, in company with three other Officers, engaged four Fokkers. In the combat that followed all four enemy machines were destroyed, this Officer shooting one down.’

Major-General Christoffel Johannes “Boetie” Venter was born in South Africa in November 1893. Arriving in England in March 1917, he joined the Royal Flying Corps and on qualifying as a pilot was posted to No. 29 Squadron out in France in mid-April 1918. Quickly establishing himself as a fearless and successful fighter pilot in the Squadron’s S.E. 5As, Venter brought down three enemy aircraft in the month of May, followed by six more in June, three in July and four in August, one of the last, a Fokker DVII, south-east of Bailleul, on the 12th, bursting into flames - ‘The pilot of this machine stalled and jumped out, and was seen to go down and land in a parachute.’

Inevitably, perhaps, given the horrendous casualty rate suffered by R.F.C. pilots of 1918 vintage, Venter himself shortly afterwards fell victim to enemy guns, being shot down in S.E. 5A-D6965 near Kemmel on 18 August, probably by the rear-gunner of a two-seater. But he survived to be taken P.O.W.

After the War he became a founding member of the South African Air Force and rose to senior rank, serving as a Major-General and Director-General from 1940-45 and being awarded a C.B. (London Gazette 1 January 1944 refers). And on retirement he enjoyed equal success within the civil aviation sector, onetime acting as Chief Manager of South African Airways. The General died in February 1977.