Auction Catalogue

22 July 2016

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 24

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22 July 2016

Hammer Price:
£9,000

A fine Great War ace’s D.F.C. group of nine awarded to Captain G. L. Graham, Royal Air Force, late 18th Hussars and Royal Flying Corps, who, having flown some 200 hours as an Observer in No. 70 Squadron, claimed 13 victories piloting Sopwith Camels of No. 73 Squadron in 1918: one of South Africa’s highest scoring fighter aces of the Great War, he was also decorated by the French with a Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. G. L Graham, Attd. 18-Hrs.), minor over-stamping to rank and unit; British War and Victory Medals (Capt. G. L. Graham R.A.F.); War Medal 1939-45 (203027 G. L. Graham); Africa Service Medal 1939-45 (203027 G. L. Graham); Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., Union of South Africa, the reverse officially inscribed, ‘Maj. G. L. Graham, S.A.A.F.’; France, Legion of Honour, 5th Class breast badge, silver and enamel; Croix de Guerre, with palm, mounted loose-style as worn, together with R.F.C. & S.A.A.F. cap badges, the 1914-15 star and Victory medals sometime acid cleaned leaving them with a lightly pitted finish that has since returned to a more pleasing dark tone, these therefore good fine, otherwise generally good very fine or better (9) £7000-9000

D.F.C. London Gazette 2 November 1918. The original recommendation states:

'On 29 July 1918, Lieutenant Graham attacked one of seven Fokker biplanes, which is confirmed to have fallen in flames east of Soissons. This officer has shown the greatest gallantry and skill in aerial fighting, attacking and destroying enemy aircraft. In addition to the above Lieutenant Graham has destroyed seven other enemy machines (one shared) and driven down two out of control.

3 March 1918: A Fokker triplane out of control S.E. of Ypres.

21 May 1918: Near Wingles, a Fokker triplane, wings folded up.

10 June 1918: Near Montidier, E.A. Scout crashed.

18 July 1918: Fokker biplane crashed near Oulchy le Chateau.

19 July 1918: Fokker biplane in flames near Verse Teville - confirmed by whole patrol.

21 July 1918: Fokker triplane, broke up N.E. of Oulchy le Chateau (shared).

22 July 1918: Fokker biplane, tail broke off, near Bazoches, and one out of control in same locality.

25 July 1918: Fokker biplane crashed near Courmont.

29 July 1918: Fokker biplane in flames, East of Soissons.

Lieutenant Graham has frequently attacked enemy troops and transport with bombs and machine-gun fire with the greatest success. He has completed 200 hours war flying as a pilot and previously 200 hours as an Observer. Lieutenant Graham has always shown the greatest dash and gallantry, seeking out and attacking enemy aircraft.’

French Legion of Honour, 5th Class
London Gazette 30 November 1918. The original recommendation states:

‘While working in the French area, this officer has destroyed four enemy aircraft and forced one to land close to the lines. He has rendered a number of extremely valuable reports at critical periods and has bombed and fired at enemy troops from very low altitudes behind the lines, causing numerous casualties.’

French Croix de Guerre, with palm
London Gazette 15 July 1919.

Gavin Lynedoch Graham was born in Grahamstown, South Africa in October 1894, the son of Thomas and Anne Graham, and was educated locally at St. Andrew’s College.

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he appears to have been attending Cambridge University. Be that as it may, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant from the O.T.C. in November 1914 and went to France with the 18th Hussars in May 1915, where he served as a regimental signalling officer until the summer of 1916.

Soon afterwards he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and qualified as an Observer. Posted to No. 70 Squadron in October 1916, he completed 200 hours flying time before returning to the U.K. for pilot training in March 1917.

Qualifying for his ‘Wings’ that September, he was posted to No. 73 Squadron, a Sopwith Camel unit, in France, in January 1918 and, as cited above, went on to gain ace status between the months of March and July.

He gained his first victory on 3 March, a Fokker triplane which he engaged with 100 rounds at ‘a few yards range’, sending it down out of control - ‘He was so near that we nearly collided.’ Having then ‘folded up’ the wings of another Fokker in a combat near Wingles on 21 May 1918, he gained his third confirmed victory on 10 June, an Albatross scout which came down between Montdidier and Mesnil.

July was to prove his most productive month with a bag of six enemy aircraft confirmed, one of them shared with fellow squadron pilots. On the 18th, he fought two combats in the vicinity of Oulchy le Chateau, the first of them resulting in an enemy scout being forced to land and the second in the destruction of a Fokker biplane: ‘I fired a long burst with both guns into him at a range of about 10 yards. The E.A. turned over on its back and got in a very steep side-slip upside down, ending in a low spin, crashing near Oulchy le Chateau.’

On the 19th, a Fokker biplane nearly collided with him, coming out of a climbing turn right in front of Graham’s Sopwith Camel: ‘I fired a burst of 100 rounds at very close range, and almost at once his engine started smoking, and then the machine burst into flames, falling, as far as I could judge, within our lines, east of Verse-Feuille.’

He and his fellow pilots having then shared in the destruction of another enemy aircraft on the 21st, Graham claimed a brace of Fokker biplanes in combats over Bazoches on the following day. The first of them was a convincing ‘kill’, for having been engaged by Graham ‘at very close range’, its detached ‘tail floated just past my machine.’

On the 25th, he jumped a Fokker biplane between him and the sun and put a couple of bursts into it at close range: ‘He turned on his back and went down slowly, turning and falling in all directions. We all three watched this and saw him crash in the wood east of Courmont.’

On the 29th, he jumped another Fokker biplane, east of Soissons. After one short burst of fire the enemy aircraft ‘immediately burst into flames.’

Recommended for the D.F.C. about this time, he was to raise his score yet further in August. Thus a shared 2-seater enemy aircraft on the 8th and a confirmed Fokker biplane on the 25th, this latter in a combat north of Bapaume.

Graham’s well-merited award of the D.F.C. aside, he received his Legion of Honour and Croix de Guerre at an ‘aerodrome investiture’ on 1 August 1918.

Posted to the Home Establishment in September 1918, he was transferred to the Unemployed List in February 1919 but subsequently served in the South African Air Force as a Major. He died in June 1963; sold with extensive copied research.