Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Victory Medal awarded to Sergeant W. H. Roebuck, Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in action when his Bristol F2b was shot down over Belgium on 11 September 1917

Victory Medal 1914-19 (5788 Sjt. W. Roebuck. R.F.C.); Memorial Plaque (William Harold Roebuck) in card envelope of issue, minor edge bruise to VM, nearly extremely fine (2) £180-£220

William Harold Roebuck was born at Horwich, Lancashire, on 19 September 1895, and gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate, no. 4544, at Military School, Ruislip, on 26 April 1917. He served during the Great War as a Sergeant in 48 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, and whilst returning from a raid on Brugge on 11 September 1917, his Bristol F2b, which he was piloting, was shot down over Wijnendale by Lieutenant Friedrich von Götz, 1 Marine Feld Jasta, at 11:10 a.m. Both Roebuck and his Air Gunner, Second Lieutenant H. T. Batson, were listed as killed in action, and Roebuck is officially commemorated on the Arras Flying Service Memorial, France.

Additional research included with the lot indicates that Roebuck may have survived the crash, and was instead conveyed to the German reserve Field Hospital at Bovekerke, where he died from his wounds four days later. It is speculated that he is the one unidentified Royal Flying Corps airman buried in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission grave in Bovekerke Cemetery, Belgium, with the date of death given as 15 September 1917.

Sold with copied research and a photographic image of the recipient.