Auction Catalogue

2 July 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

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Lot

№ 769

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2 July 2003

Hammer Price:
£600

Original Great War Observer’s Flying Log Book, Early White Cover Type, appertaining to Lieutenant A. V. Oliver-Jones, who was killed in action with No. 21 Squadron in June 1916, covering the period 8 January to 15 July 1916, commencing with early training flights at Netheravon and ending with operational entries with No. 21 Squadron in France, including forced landings and crashes after reconnaissances over Lille and Cambrai in June and July, together with a quantity of other contemporary documentation, including typed application to join the R.F.C., and handwritten order to collect ‘secret code of signals between Artillery and aeroplanes’ from the Base Commandant at Havre, dated 29 January 1915, with relevant printed orders attached, and a fine studio portrait photograph, good condition throughout, rare £600-700

Alfred Vernon Oliver-Jones, who came from Tunbridge Wells and was educated at Oundle, was originally commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in August 1914. Arriving in France with 66th Battery, he was severely wounded at Neuve Chapelle on 9 July 1915, loosing a number of fingers on his left hand.

Unable, therefore, to rejoin his unit, he successfully applied for training as an Observer in the Royal Flying Corps, qualified in March 1916 and joined No. 21 Squadron out in France, flying in R.E. 7s on bombing and reconnaissance sorties. And by the time of his loss in action on 21 July of the same year, probably a victim of enemy A.A. fire over Beaulencourt, he had completed at least two dozen operational sorties, latterly with Captain J. Cooper as his pilot. The son of Lady and Captain Cooper, and an old Harrovian, Cooper was an experienced pilot with an R.F.C. commission dating from January 1915.