Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Ace’s’ pair awarded to Lieutenant K. J. P. Laing, No. 1 Squadron Royal Air Force - who claimed five ‘victories’

British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.A.F.) extremely fine (2) £600-800

Kenneth Joseph Price Laing was born in Hawick, Scotland in 1890. Before the war he was a motor cycle racer. During the early years of the war he served at Home, 22 September 1914-21 June 1917, as a local despatch rider with No. 2 North Scottish R.E. He was commissioned into the R.F.C. on 21 June 1917 and joined No. 1 Squadron flying SE5A’s in April 1918.

His victories were on:

21 May 1918, when he claimed a shared capture of a Rumpler C at Merville.

28 May 1918, when he claimed a shared ‘kill’ of an enemy aircraft at Meteren-Bailleul and another shared ‘kill’ of a DFW C in the same area.

5 June 1918. Combat Report reads, ‘When on Special Mission I was flying at about 6,000 feet when I observed a hostile two-seater at about 3,000 feet S.W. of Bailleul. I dived on E.A. firing bursts from Lewis & Vickers at about 150 yards range. E.A. was diving steeply East at 1,000 feet when I left him. Subsequently confirmed by “J” Battery A.A. as having crashed.’

9 June 1918. Combat Report reads, ‘Three triplanes dived on 3 S.E.5’s over Armentieres. One triplane followed on S.E. over the line, whereupon patrol dived on it forcing it to land ... it turned up on its nose.’

Whilst Laing was on leave in July 1918, he was injured in a motorcycle accident and did not return to his unit.

With an original portrait photograph of the recipient and slip to accompany the medals; together with a quantity of copied service papers and reports.

Now sold with named card boxes of issue in damaged Registered envelope addressed to ‘Lieut K. J. P. Laing, Viewfield, Hawick, Scotland’