Orders, Decorations and Medals

The British War Medal awarded to Flight Lieutenant D. Keith-Johnston, Royal Naval Air Service, who was killed in action in a Henri-Farman of No. 2 Wing while attacking the Zeppelin L. 12 off Ostend in August 1915

British War Medal 1914-20 (Flt. Lt. D. Keith-Johnston, R.N.A.S.), very fine £150-200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F..

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David Keith-Johnston, who was born in April 1895, entered the Royal Naval Air Service in September 1914 and gained his Royal Aeronautical Club Certificate (No. 935) at Netheravon in the following month. Appointed a Flight Lieutenant, he was posted to No. 2 Wing at Dunkirk in early 1915, and was ‘mentioned’ in connection with attacks on Ostend-Zeebrugge and Bruges on 11, 12 and 16 February (T.N.A. ADM 273/4 refers). Sadly, however, he was killed in action in an attack on the Zeppelin L. 12 off Ostend on 10 August 1915.

During the course of bombing Dover at midnight on the 9th, the L. 12 was seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire and compelled to make course for Belgium, but, as a result of loss of gas, had to ditch in the sea off Zeebrugge, where she was taken in tow by a German torpedo boat to Ostend and made fast to the quay during the morning of the 10th. Alerted to the zeppelin’s crippled state, elements of No. 2 Wing set off from Dunkirk to finish her off, an early attack by Flight Commander J. R. Smyth-Pigott inflicting further damage, but by the time Keith-Johnston arrived on the scene the enemy were fully alerted, and his Henri-Farman was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

The son of Robert and Jessy Keith-Johnston of Sudbury, Middlesex, and of Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, he was 20 years of age, and is buried in Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery. Tragically, just four weeks later, his brother Macfie, a 17-year-old Flight Sub. Lieutenant, was killed in a flying accident.