Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part III)

An impressive Second World War test pilot’s M.B.E., Great War D.S.C. and Bar group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant H. V. Worrall, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service: having been decorated for landing a direct hit on the Goeben in the Dardanelles, and for excellent spotting work in the Third Battle of Gaza in 1917, he became a pioneer of civil aviation, among other feats completing a 20,000 mile survey of Africa in a Flying Boat as co-pilot to Sir Alan Cobham in 1927-28

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Flt. S. Lt., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.A.F.); French Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, generally good very fine (6) £10000-12000

M.B.E. London Gazette 9 January 1946.

D.S.C. London Gazette 14 September 1918:

‘In recognition of their services on the occasion of the sortie of the Goeben and Breslau from the Dardanelles on 20 January 1918.’

The original recommendation states:

‘He made a successful attack on the Goeben, obtaining a direct hit. This was his first night flight.’

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 20 February 1919:

‘In recognition of their services during Naval operations carried out in conjunction with Military operations in Palestine from October to December 1917.’

The original recommendation states:

‘He carried out very successful spotting work for Requin off the Wadi Hesi.’

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 22 February 1918.



Harry Vernon Worrall was born in the Fiji Islands in June 1888, the son of a missionary, and was educated at Queen’s College, Hobart, Tasmania. From 1903-15 served an apprenticeship with the Melbourne Electric Supply Company, experience that placed him in good stead for his subsequent application to join the Royal Naval Air Service, so much so that he was quickly appointed to a commission as a Temporary Flight Sub. Lieutenant in August of the latter year. He subsequently commenced pilot training at Eastbourne in Graham White Box Kite aircraft, a means of transport that he later described as being ‘as open to the elements as a sea-side char-a-banc and four times as uncomfortable.’ Later in the same year he graduated to Curtiss, Bleriot and Cauldron aircraft types, in addition to gaining experience on Short Seaplanes at R.N.A.S. Westgate, and in the summer of 1916 he was assessed as a ‘Good officer and seaplane pilot’ who was ready for his first operational posting.

Worrall was duly ordered to join the seaplane base at Port Said, but would also operate from the carrier H.M.S. Empress over the coming months, his D.S.C.-winning exploits on the night of 24-25 January 1918 being a case in point. On that occasion he became “waterborne” from Empress off Mudros at 10 p.m., and took-off with Lieutenant L. H. Pakenham-Walsh, Cheshire Regiment, attached R.N.A.S., as his Observer, half an hour later. In the company of one other aircraft, and carrying two 651lb. bombs, their mission was to attack the Goeben, then aground at Nagara Point in the Dardanelles. Worrall subsequently delivered the following report of the evening’s proceedings:

‘Our bombs were dropped in one run from stern to bow from 3000 feet, one bomb striking the bow and the other falling over. Rather heavy anti-aircraft fire was experienced but the shooting was rather low at first, improving as we left. We observed one battery on the beach east of Goeben, one battery south of Goeben and one on the peninsula west of Goeben. No craft of any description were observed alongside the target. Three searchlights were sweeping the Narrows and patrol boats were sighted south of Imbros and light put on them to which they replied.’

An indication of the effectiveness of these enemy defences was demonstrated two nights later, when Lieutenant L. H. Pakenham-Walsh, flying with another pilot, Flight Lieutenant C. G. Bronson, R.N., was brought down by machine-gun fire at a low altitude and taken prisoner.

Worrall was awarded the D.S.C., while his earlier work in Palestine in late 1917 was recognised by the award of Bar. These latter operations witnessed him carrying out excellent spotting work for the French battleship Requin off the Wadi Hesi during the Third Battle of Gaza.

Transferring to the Royal Air Force in the rank of Captain in April 1918, Worrall held a regular commission until resigning in the rank of Flight Lieutenant in September 1926, in order to enter the world of civil aviation. Joining Blackburn Aircraft Ltd., he demonstrated their Dart aircraft in South America before being appointed co-pilot to Sir Alan Cobham for his epic 20,000 mile survey flight around Africa 1927-28, in a Singapore Short flying boat, a journey that had the very definite purpose of fostering Empire air lines in that continent. For many miles of the flight they flew only a few feet above the waves in order to avoid the full force of gales, while navigation was accomplished by dead reckoning. They had no radio; for the full story of this trail-blazing journey, and of the numerous hazards encountered during it, see Sir Alan Cobham’s Twenty Thousand Miles In A Flying Boat.

In 1929 Worrall was appointed Chief Instructor and Manager of the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club and remained similarly employed until November 1939, when he joined A. V. & Roe Ltd. as a test pilot at Yeadon, Yorkshire. He subsequently completed hundreds of hours testing Blenheims, Manchesters and Lancasters, among other aircraft types, and by the War’s end had brought his career flying time up to the 11,000-hour mark and no doubt added to his final career tally of 30 forced-landings. He was awarded the M.B.E., the London Gazette listing him as Avro’s Senior Test Pilot.

Worrall, ‘a quiet, unassuming and very modest man’, retired to Australia where he died at Manly, N.S.W. in August 1957, aged 69 years.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation and photographs, including:

i. An old family parchment indenture, dated 2 July 1794, complete with the signatures of three Worrrall ladies and their wax seals
ii. The recipient’s ‘Federation Aeronautique Internationale’ Aviator’s Certificate (British Empire), dated 30 September 1915 (No. 1878), with portrait photograph
iii. R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book, the cover ink-inscribed, ‘H. V. Worrall, Flt. Lt.’, and with entries for the period August 1924 to August 1931, including those appertaining to the epic African flight of 1927-28
iv. A copy of Cobham’s account of that journey, Twenty Thousand Miles In A Flying Boat, the title page inscribed, ‘To Capt. Worrall, the best companion any man could have on a voyage of adventure. Happy memories of six very great months together in which my wife joins me, Yours ever, Alan J. Cobham, 26/2/30’, together with a related letter in which he states he had flown in ‘the company of the finest crew headed by yourself that a flying expedition has ever had’, this dated 24 February 1930
v. Two British Passports, issued in December 1926 and May 1956
vi. Downing Street letter of notification for the award of the recipient’s M.B.E., together with related Buckingham Palace forwarding letter and warrant, and several congratulatory letters and telegrams, including one from Air Marshal Sir Alec Coryton, K.B.E., C.B., M.V.O., D.F.C.
vii. Career and family photographs (approximately 25), several framed and glazed
viii. Birth and marriage certificates, assorted newspaper cuttings and various other papers
ix. A silver presentation cigarette box bearing the inscription, ‘Capt. H. J.(sic) Worrall, D.S.C., From the Officers and Men of ‘E’ Company, March 1942’
x. A plated scale-model of the 1927-28 African flight Singapore Short flying boat, mounted upon a wooden plinth bearing an inscribed silver plate, ‘Singapore Short Rolls-Royce Flying Boat, Round Africa Flight, November 1927 - June 1928, Presented to Capt. H. V. Worrall, D.S.C., by Short Brothers (Rochester & Bedford) Limited and Rolls-Royce Limited’, this last dismantled and in need of extensive restoration.