Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Second Lieutenant D. F. Tysoe, Royal Air Force, who served with the Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Car Squadron in Russia, being awarded the Russian Medal of St. George 4th Class, before transferring to the Royal Air Force as a Spowith Camel Pilot with 204 Squadron, and was shot down and severely wounded in the Autumn of 1918

British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. D. F. Tysoe. R.A.F.) surname rubbed on VM; together with the recipient’s R.A.F. pilots embroidered wings, extremely fine (2) £400-£500

Donald Frank Tysoe was born in Huntingdon on 6 February 1897 and joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Petty Officer Mechanic on 30 March 1916, for the duration of hostilities. He transferred to Locker-Lampson’s Armoured Car Squadron in Russia on 12 April 1916, and served for the majority of the remainder of the War with this unit. His service record states that he was awarded the Russian Medal of St. George (although, in common with the majority of Russian awards made after 1917, this is not Gazetted).

Tysoe was commissioned a temporary Probationary Flight Officer on 19 December 1917, and was confirmed as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918. He joined 204 Squadron as a pilot in July 1918, and was shot down in late September/ early October 1918, whilst flying Sopwith Camel B6319, being admitted to hospital on 3 October 1918. Interestingly, Camel B6319 had an illustrious history- it was flown by at least three Aces, including R. A. Little (47 victories), R. J. O. Compston (25 victories), and P. M. Dennett (10 victories). Tysoe relinquished his commission on account of wounds on 3 May 1919, retaining the rank of Second Lieutenant.

Sold together with a water-colour painting by Arthur Henslowe, dated 1920, depicting Tysoe’s Sopwith Camel in flight with the serial number B6319 clearly shown, mounted in a glazed display frame; a copy of the book ‘The Czar’s British Squadron’, by Bryan Perrett and Anthony Lord, being the history, with photographs and maps, of the unit in Russia; sepia copied pages of a fine contemporary photograph album showing the RNAS Armoured Cars in Russia 1916-17; and a file of copied research.