Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare and interesting Great War pilot’s archive appertaining to Group Captain T. V. Lister, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, comprising Pilot’s Flying Log Book (white cover type), with title inscription, ‘T. V. Lister, Flight Sub. Lieut., R.N.A.S.’, covering the period January 1915 to May 1936; a large format, red-leather bound “Pilot’s Log Book”, the title page inscribed, ‘Flight Sub. Lieutenant Thomas Vaughan Lister’, with entries for the period November 1914 to November 1918; assorted certificates and letters of appointment, including C.F.S. Upavon Certificate ‘A’ (No. 335), qualifying Lister for service in the Royal Flying Corps, dated 12 March 1915, appointments to the Isle of Grain (Experimental Staff) dated September 1916, and R.A.F. Killingholme, dated October 1916, and similar Admiralty documents for appointment to Flight Lieutenant, R.N.A.S., dated December 1915 and Flight Commander, R.N., at No. 6 Wing, Otranto, March 1917; three photograph albums, two of a small format containing snapshots for the approximate period of 1912-18 and a larger album, circa 1916, subject matter including R.N.A.S. and R.A.F. personnel and aircraft, damp stained in places, sometimes severely, and a folder containing a selection of loose family photographs; assorted private reports, contained in a card folder, the majority relating to the period 1916-17; R.A.F. Signal Diary for Ambala Inter-Command, 1930-31; assorted manuals and books dealing in such subjects as wireless communication and navigation, etc.; and additional memorabilia including several maps (lot) £400-500

Thomas Vaughan Lister, the son of a clergyman, was born in December 1893, and was studying as an apprentice for the Mercantile Marine when he volunteered for the Naval Wing, R.F.C. soon after the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Appointed a Flight Sub. Lieutenant that November, he commenced flying training at Hendon, completing a number of ‘straights’ - rather than ‘circuits’ - in Bristol Boxkites under the instruction of the famous pioneer aviator Frederick Merriam. Early in the new year he was posted to the Central Flying School at Ford, where his instruction continued under the watchful eye of Flight Commander J. H. Lidderdale, R.N., a founder member of the Naval Wing, and, having gone solo on Maurice Farmans and BE8s, and flown his first seaplane off Calshot on 17 March 1915 (‘Very ghastly. Could not get on at all’), Lister appears to have gained his Aviator’s Certificate at Upavon in the same month.

In late April, following further flying experience on seaplanes over the Solent and the Isle of Wight, he was posted to the Dover Seaplane Station and commenced his operational career with ‘a hunt for German machines’ on the 26th, but this time flying a Sopwith. And on 17 May, in a Schneider aircraft, during his very first night flight, he participated in a ‘chase after a Zeppelin.’ Another young R.N.A.S. pilot scrambled that night was “Rex” Warneford, who, in company with Squadron Commander Spenser Grey, sighted and attacked the LZ. 39, but without success: just three weeks later the gallant Warneford won the V.C. for bringing down the LZ. 37 over Ghent.

It is also clear from Lister’s flying log book that he was kept equally busy testing the strengths and weaknesses of the Schneider, among other entries being ‘Stunts over Dover harbour and machine was hauled aboard the St. Germaine’ (31 May 1915), and several others which state ‘Tested machine for speed along breakwater.’ Later in the year, Lister also tested Variable aircraft (‘Joy ride. Did a mild spiral and scared Lidderdale to death’), and W. & T. Bat-boats, his private log book noting various mechanical and design defects with the latter. Interestingly, among the passengers he took up in one of the station’s Bat-boats was Squadron Commander F. E. T. Hewlett, another founding father of the Naval Wing who had participated in the famous Cuxhaven raid in December 1914. Lister was posted to Dunkirk at the end of 1915, his C.O. noting in a confidential report:

‘This Officer has been 1st Lieutenant at this station [Dover] since it was opened and has shown great ability in command in my absence. He is an exceptional pilot and has flown [a] Schneider Cup Sopwith at night. He handles men and Officers very well and with his previous sea training is an invaluable seaplane Officer. Strongly recommended for promotion.’

Duly advanced to Flight Lieutenant, Lister commenced further operational sorties in FBAs out of Dunkirk, an unhappy encounter with the Royal Navy taking place on the 25th of the month, when he and Sub. Lieutenant Crowther were embarked in FBA-3200 on a reconnaissance flight over Zeebrugge, as noted in his private log book:

‘Flew on spotting expedition to Zeebrugge. After flying 45 minutes over target, engine failed and had to land 10 miles outside Zeebrugge. Picked up by H.M.S. Tartar and towed back to Dunkerque. Both monitors and five destroyers had been firing at us heavily the whole time. The Tartar loosed off two 12lbs. at us when 200 feet up and about 600 feet away, and also fired a rifle at us after landing. So much for the British Navy.’

For the rest of the year Lister remained actively employed out of Dunkirk, an encounter with an enemy submarine taking place on 5 October (‘Sighted submarine and dropped a bomb. Just missed it’).

The advent of 1916 appears to have witnessed him returning to his earlier role of carrying out test flights and pilot training duties. Later that year he gained experience on BE2s on the Isle of Grain and enjoyed a posting to Killingholme Seaplane Station, once more being recommended for promotion, on this occasion to Flight Commander, an appointment that was confirmed at the end of the year.

Then in March 1917, he joined No. 6 Wing, a posting that resulted in him serving out in Italy until February 1918. Arriving back home for a course on “big boats” at Felixstowe shortly afterwards, Lister was appointed C.O. of No. 272 Squadron, R.A.F. towards the end of hostilities, having been advanced to Squadron Commander w.e.f. December 1917.

He remained a regular R.A.F. Officer after the War, served out in India in the late 1920s and was advanced to Wing Commander in January 1931. Lister was placed on the Retired List in the rank of Group Captain in January 1947.