Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War C.B.E., Great War D.S.C. group of thirteen awarded to Air Vice-Marshal C. W. Nutting, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Royal Naval Air Service, who, having been decorated for his gallantry as an Observer in the No. 1 Wing at Dunkirk and gained acclaim as an innovator in wireless telegraphy for aircraft, rose to senior rank in the R.A.F. and was awarded the C.B.E. for his services as Assistant Chief of Air Staff in the Directorate of Signals

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1915, the reverse privately engraved, ‘Lieut.C. W. Nutting, Flanders, 1916’; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. C. W. Nutting, R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Commr. C. W. Nutting, R.N.V.R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (S./L. C. W. Nutting, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, together with a companion set of miniature dress medals, the earlier awards a little polished and with contact marks, otherwise generally very fine and better (25) £3500-4000

C.B.E. London Gazette 11 July 1940.

D.S.C. London Gazette 22 June 1916. The original recommendation states:

‘Lieutenant Nutting joined No. 1 Wing at Dunkirk in April 1915. During the past year he has been continually employed in coastal reconnaissances and as an aerial Observer for gun fire.

Owing to his technical knowledge of wireless telegraphy, he has largely developed this branch of aerial science. He successfully installed the first receiving W./T. apparatus in aeroplanes with rotary engines, and with Flight Lieutenant G. H. Beard, successfully carried out night spotting by moonlight with General Wolfe on Westende.

He has been continually employed in aerial spotting for Monitors’ gun fire and has been largely responsible for the successful results obtained.’

Charles William Nutting, who was born in April 1889, was appointed a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in March 1915.

Shortly afterwards he joined No. 1 Wing at Dunkirk as an Observer and W./T. Officer, in which capacity he flew many missions by day and night, and was responsible for greatly improving wireless telegraphy. Indeed Nutting’s expertise was later employed aboard the seaplane carrier H.M.S. Riviera, important work that prompted Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon to give him due credit in his definitive history of the Dover Patrol:

‘Exceptionally good progress was made in wireless telegraphy under the guidance of Lieutenant Nutting. A new type of sending and receiving set was supplied, and this was successfully fitted to various types of machines and thoroughly tested’ (Dover Patrol, refers).

As noted by his service record, he also distinguished himself for gallant spotting work, when he was ‘deserving of much credit for flying on 26 January 1916, and other dates, almost continuously under A.A. fire and successfully spotting the fire of the monitors.’

Transferring to the newly established Royal Air Force in April 1918, Nutting quickly gained advancement to Squadron Leader and was awarded the O.B.E. for his work as a Communications Officer on the Technical Staff during the Iraq operations of December 1919 to November 1920 (London Gazette 28 October 1921 refers).

Advanced to Wing Commander in January 1926, while serving on the Staff of the Signals Branch, and to Group Captain in January 1933, he became Director of Signals at the Air Ministry in April 1937, in which capacity he was serving on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939 - he was a member of the committee that met delegates to discuss supplying British fighters in defence of Poland (C.B.E.).

In April 1940, Nutting transferred to the Technical Branch, and in January 1941, on being advanced to Air-Vice-Marshal, he reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession - namely as Director-General of Signals. But in he was placed on the Retired List in the following year, when he took up appointment as Telecommunications Adviser to the Minister Resident in the Middle East. He retired to Galmpton, near Kingsbridge, Devon, after the War and died in February 1964; sold with original identity cards for travel in the Middle East in 1944 (2), and a large portrait photograph.