Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The outstanding and rare Second War C.B.E., Great War D.S.O., M.C. and Bar, A.F.C. group of eleven awarded to Air Commodore P. F. Fullard, Royal Air Force and Royal Flying Corps, who with 40 confirmed aerial victories during 1917 would at the War’s end be the seventh highest scoring British Ace of the Great War and the second highest living.

A pilot of supreme skill and confidence in his ability as a pilot, his 40 victories were claimed in just eight months at the front, a staggering feat that far surpassed those Aces with higher scores; indeed, his score would have been more had several balloons been added to this number which, whilst recorded by the squadron, were not by granted by a higher authority. Fullard’s war was cut short, not by a German bullet but by a fracture of his leg sustained during an off duty football match in November 1917.

What could have been, had he not broken his leg, can only be guessed, but Fullard’s ratio for front line flying time to the number of aerial victories obtained would be unsurpassed by any of the British Aces who had more victories during the Great War. Had Fullard carried on flying, it is quite possible he could have surpassed the victory score of any Ace of any nation

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck riband, in Garrard, London, case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; Military Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, unnamed as issued; Air Force Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. P. F. Fullard. R.F.C.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1935 (S/L. P. F. Fullard. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Belgium, Kingdom, Croix de Guerre, A.I.R., with bronze palm, the pre-Second War awards all mounted as worn; the Second War medals loose, generally good very fine (11) £40,000-£60,000

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1941

D.S.O. London Gazette 16 September 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. As a patrol leader and scout pilot he is without equal. The moral effect of his presence in a patrol is most marked. He has now accounted for fourteen machines destroyed and eighteen driven down out of control in a little over four months’

M.C. London Gazette 9 January 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when engaged in aerial combat. He has on four occasions attacked and destroyed enemy aircraft, and has in addition engaged in 25 indecisive combats, in which he has shown fine leadership, great dash and determination to close with the enemy.’

M.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette 9 January 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has on many occasions displayed the utmost dash and fearlessness in attacking enemy aircraft at close range and in destroying at least eight hostile machines during a period of about ten days. His determination and fine offensive spirit have in almost every instance resulted in disaster to the enemy.’

A.F.C. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 June 1919.

Belgium Croix de Guerre London Gazette 1 April 1919.

Philip Fletcher Fullard was born in Wimbledon on 27 June 1897 and was educated at the King Edward VI School, Norwich. Here he developed a reputation as an accomplished sportsman and played for Norwich City Reserves football team. Still at school on the outbreak of the Great War, he enlisted into the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps in 1915 and was gazetted Second Lieutenant, Royal Irish Fusiliers on 5 August 1916. Barely a week later he was instructed to report to the School of Military Aeronautics, Oxford, to train as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps.

Passing his ‘dual’ and ‘solo’ tests in under two days’ of instruction, he was awarded his wings in December 1916 and shortly afterwards, due to his exceptional flying abilities, was appointed as an instructor at Central Flying School, Upavon. An extremely confident young man, he described himself “as good a pilot as there was” and remarked: “I had a total lack of fear. I was very conscious of what I could make the machine do.”

In desperate need for pilots and demoralised by the devastating looses sustained by the Royal Flying Corps during ‘Bloody April’, later that month Fullard was ordered to the Western Front and in early May 1917, was posted to 1 Squadron. Based next to Bailleul Asylum, a few miles southwest of Ypres in Flanders, 1 Squadron had recently been fully equipped with French Nieuport 17 fighters. Initially Fullard found the Nieuport to be “frightfully heavy-handed” and “unwieldy”, with a cramped cockpit and experienced his first ‘flip’ during a practice flight. Once mastering, his views changed and he came to regard the Nieuport with supreme respect, describing it as “immensely strong” and capable of withstanding “the most enormous strains and dives and spins and rolls”.

Into Combat
Fullard’s first combat flight came just days after his arrival at 1 Squadron, with an offensive patrol on 5 May. For all his self-assurance and ability, Fullard’s introduction to the Western Front was a difficult baptism of fire. During his first patrol he was so distracted by the “sight of the enemy in their brightly coloured liveries” that he stalled and spun “right down almost to the top of them”. His flight leader thought he was “a goner”. Days later he became embroiled in combat only to discover he was unable to use his gun due to an oil-covered sight. Worse still was the “rotten prospect” of a hazardous sortie against observation balloons that, following a “contour chasing” practice sortie flown over the trenches at heights of little more than “25 or so feet”, became a deadly reality late on 26 May.

Of the six assigned to hit a group of balloons with Le Prieur rockets, Fullard was one of only two to make it home. Two balloons had been destroyed at the cost of four pilots killed, wounded or captured. Landing after a fruitless search for a balloon that had already been hauled down, Fullard vented his frustration. The outburst was indicative of a trait and did little to endear him to senior officers. The headstrong youngster soon exacted partial revenge with his first victory.

During a frantic dogfight over Quesnoy, he spotted an Albatros D.III scout attacking a British machine. In what would become his trademark style, Fullard closed to 20 yards before opening fire. Half a magazine was enough to send it spiralling down and, with Fullard unable to follow, he was credited with having despatched it ‘out of control’. Two days later, Fullard was credited with a second Albatros Scout out of control. He reported firing 15 rounds at close range, the Albatros flying straight for some moments and then went into a spin, it was last seen as such at 2,000 feet over Warneton. On 4 June, he brought down one Albatros Scout crashed and a second out of control Roulers. According to Communiqués:
“Fullard dived at one of four HA and this machine, which was painted in many colours, fell completely out of control. He then joined a big fight between 15 HA and a number of our machines, but one HA obtained a favourable position on his tail so he put his machine into a spin. An SE5 of 56 Squadron dived at the attacking scout and drove it down out of control. 2nd Lt Fullard then attacked a black and white Albatros scout from underneath and about 30 shots were seen to go into the HA which flew straight on, then went into a spin, turned completely over, and eventually crashed in a field.”

On 8 June, during an offensive patrol, pilots of 1 Squadron engaged six Albatros scouts near Becelaere and Fullard shot down one in flames, thereby raising his victory score to five. He had reached Ace status very rapidly, having little more than a month of front line service. This, however, was just a taste of what to come from this extremely talented young pilot.

On 14 and 15 June and 7 July, Fullard claimed another three Albatros scouts and on 11 July, he was leading C Flight which first tackled 5 enemy scouts and then 9 enemy scouts; Fullard claiming a black “Albatros with green stripes”, out of control over Comines. Shortly after a further 6 enemy scouts were engaged, Fullard claiming a second Albatros out of control. The latter he described as the leader and was brown with red tail. He was now double Ace or a ‘Star Turn’.

In an interview in later life, Fullard describe how “My whole theory was to get so close that he couldn’t dare turn... I could see my shots moving up the fuselage. He would probably be so frightened at seeing those... I got most of my two-seaters that way. Getting in close. I could see their faces, goggles and everything.” He would further explain, “When one met a formation, I used to get one Hun and make sure of it, and this would shatter them. Then, I would pull out and go above my flight and circle round like... an old hen... to guard them and shoot, either effectively or warningly.” Although rather surprisingly, he never regarded himself as an outstanding marksman, he did his best to ensure he had the best possible chances in combat. He maintained and loaded his own guns and in combat, kept his rate of fire in check, giving himself valuable time before having to reload. He would later claim that having fired some 5,000 rounds, he never had an actual stoppage.

On 13 July, Fullard led 11 Nieuports which got involved in combat with several formations from both sides. During the fight Fullard found himself separated from his squadron and joined a flight from 56 Squadron which attacked 8 Albatros scouts. Fullard reported scooting down an Albatros Scout out of control between Zandvoorde and Wervicq. However, running low on fuel, he headed for home, only for his engine to cut out over British lines and he crashed, his Nieuport overturning in shell hole on impact. Uninjured, four days later he sent down an Albatros Scout out of control over Polygon, the scout ‘went down rolling over and over.’ Fullard raised his score to 14 when, on 22 July, he dived at two Albatros Scouts, one of which he destroyed, the aircraft crashing at Marcq, he then drove down the other out of control over Lille.

On 28 July, “an Offensive Patrol of 1 Squadron engaged five Albatros two-seaters over Comines. Capt P. F. Fullard drove one down and followed it for about five minutes, after which the EA fell and crashed. Shortly after, ten EA scouts attacked our patrol and were reinforced by 12 more.” Two further aircraft were brought down by other members of the patrol.

Leading a patrol on the morning of 9 August, Fullard and Lieutenant Rooper, attacked an enemy two-seater over Houthulst Forest. This enemy aircraft being credited to both pilots as being captured, though R.F.C. Communiqués, list it as destroyed. Later that day, during a second patrol, 1 Squadron encountered six Albatros scouts over Becelaere. During the ensuing combat, Fullard and 2nd Lieutenant McLaren each drove one Albatros down out of control. The following evening, Fullard was sent up to locate an enemy two-seater that had been identified by wireless intercept service. Locating what he described as a black and white DFW, he engaged it at 3,000 feet, firing three-quarters of a drum and sending it down to crash in a field near Haubourdin.

Approaching 20 Aerial Victories and Beyond
On the morning of 12 August, Fullard led 4 Nieuports on another wireless intercept and located several enemy aircraft below the clouds at between 3,000 and 4,000 feet east of Ten-Brielen. Fullard fired half a drum into one DFW, driving it down out of control, Sergeant Olley driving down another. Between 15 and 16 August, Captain Fullard would not only reach a milestone of 20 aerial victories but increased his score to 24, claiming a remarkable 5 Albatros scouts in just over 24 hours. His score is all the more remarkable because it was reached in little more than three months since his first operational patrol.

When on patrol after 6pm on the evening of the 15th, Fullard dived at four enemy aircraft which were attacking an ‘FE’ from behind but he in turn was attacked by enemy scouts from the rear. During the ensuing combat, he “outmanoeuvred them and shot 1 EA down at close range, he was seen to crash near Poelcapelle”. Minutes later he shot down another Albatros which rolled over and over and was last seen near the ground out of control.

On the morning of 16 August “a patrol of 1 Squadron saw from 50 to 60 enemy scouts in various formations and had a number of engagements. In one instance Captain P. F. Fullard saw a Spad attacking two EA scouts and watched one of the scouts waiting to get on the Spad's tail, so he dived on this scout which he shot down and saw crash”. Five minutes later he drove down another Albatros out of control and would add a third victory of the day. That evening he sent down an Albatros Scout out of control over Lille - Pérenchies.

In an engagement between Nieuports of 1 Squadron and six enemy scouts on 19 August, Fullard got very close to one of his opponents and, after emptying three-quarters of a drum into it, it fell and crashed at Roncq. Of this combat, Fullard reported, “I dived on one EA, painted yellow with black stripes, which was cruising between me and the FE's. I got very close and fired 3/4 of a drum - he turned to left and dived straight down. I saw him crash.”

Two days later, a patrol of six Nieuports of 1 Squadron encountered 17 enemy aircraft scouts near Houthulst. Fullard shot down one out of control. Having engine trouble, he then turned for the lines but was attacked by five enemy aircraft. 2nd Lieutenant Reeves saw his position and skilfully kept the enemy aircraft off Fullard’s tail, and shot one down which fell out of control. The following day, Fullard dived at a DFW two-seater and fired 75 rounds at close range, the DFW being seen to crash at Poelcapelle by Second Army anti-aircraft observers.

Out of Action in September - and then Recommended for the V.C. in October
Confident with the strength of his Nieuport, on 3 September, Fullard decided to see “what would happen if a Nieuport was put out of control with the engine full on. The machine fell 12,000ft in a diving spin at great speed. When suddenly I felt an intense pain in my head and found I could see nothing at all. I thought I had been shot and, managing to make the machine fly level at a slow speed, I waited. After what seemed a long time, I began to see very indistinctly with one eye the blurred outline of white objects. I picked out the white cross on the aerodrome and landed safely, still in great pain... and quite blind in one eye.”. Examined by the Squadron’s doctor, it transpired he had suffered a burst blood vessel due to the extremely rapid alteration in pressure during his spin. Told he must rest, it would not be until the beginning of October that he returned to the Squadron.

The rest served him well and October 1917 would be Fullard’s highest scoring month. On 5 October, at 30 yards he fired 60 rounds at a two-seater which went down steeply and crashed at Bousbecque. Two days later, leading four aircraft of 1 Squadron, he attacked a DFW at 4,000 feet; firing a full Drum of Lewis from below and behind down to 2,000 feet. The DFW went into a side slipping dive out of control over Wervicq-Comines. The following day, he claimed a further two-seater out of control over the same area, bringing his victory score up to 30. His 31st victory came during a patrol on 14 October, Fullard seeing a two-seater flying up and down between Wervicq and Houthem. Waiting until it was underneath him, he then dived at it and shot it down out of control but was attacked by scouts and unable to watch it crash.

17 October was another outstanding day for Fullard when leading an Offensive Patrols, he brought down one two-seater, which fell “like a leaf” and crashed south-east of Ledeghem, and drove two others down out of control, the last of which, an Albatros DV, saw the German pilot slump forward in the cockpit following a 50-round burst from just 20 yards.

Fullard’s 35th Victory came on 24 October when he drove down an enemy two-seater out of control from 2,000 feet, after firing 100 rounds into it at a range of ten yards. The two-seater went down in steep left-hand spiral, however Fullard’s Nieuport was hit by an explosive bullet fired by the observer. Fullard nearly had to land at Moorslede but managed to get back flying at 100 feet. Victories 36 and 37 were added on 27 October when he fired 35 rounds into a DFW two-seater doing artillery work. This he saw crash into some trees at Roulers. A second victory that day came when Fullard and his patrol attacked a formation of 14 enemy aircraft, composed of Gotha’s and DFW’s. Into one of the latter he fired 70 rounds at close range and drove it down out of control, though this aircraft was seen to crash at Becelaere by the personnel of an anti-aircraft battery. On 30 October his flight attacked a flight of black and white Pfalz Scouts at 3,000 feet; Fullard later wrote, “I dived on the leader and fired half a drum into him. He turned over and went down and crashed just North of Westroosebeke.”

In late October 1917, for his gallantry and leadership, Fullard was recommended Victoria Cross. This recommendation was turned down by a ‘very poor minded’ Brigadier with a note attached saying ‘He should get more Huns’. Understandably this comment rankled with Fullard, coming from “a very boorish man” who “didn’t fly”. Fullard would however be awarded the D.S.O. this month, though like his earlier M.C. and M.C. Second Award Bar, these awards would not be gazetted until 1918.

Fullard’s 39th and 40th Victories came in quick succession just over two weeks later on 15 November. During an offensive patrol over Zandvoorde, he “dived at an enemy scout, which had obtained a favourable position on a Nieuport’s tail, and destroyed it. Meanwhile another scout was getting into a favourable position on his tail, but he outmanoeuvred this machine and after firing three-quarters of a drum into it, the EA fell out of control and was seen to break up before reaching the ground.”

On 17 November 1917, two days after claiming his 40th victory, Fullard suffered a compound fracture of his right leg during an off-duty football match and was out of action. After a short stay in hospital, he was returned home for more surgery and to convalesce. Initially the rest away from the front was not all bad; with 40 aerial Victories, Fullard was the second highest British Ace by that point in the War and third highest R.F.C. Ace of any nationality. Only Albert Ball, V.C., who had 44 Victories before his death in May 1917 and the great Canadian Ace, Billy Bishop, V.C., who’s score then stood at 47, surpassed Fullard’s score. Consequently, every newspaper and magazine in the country carried pictures of Fullard and articles on his deeds, such was his fame, including appearing on the front cover of the 18 January 1918 edition of Tatler magazine. The following article, appearing in The Glasgow Times, 7 January 1918, is typical:
‘Captain Philip Fletcher Fullard, D.S.O., M.C., aged 20, is a fair, curly-haired, good-looking boy, clear-eyed and fresh-complexioned, with regular features. He went fresh from school into an officers’ training corps. He has flown in France for about six months and during that time has brought down 42 enemy machines and three balloons. In a single day he brought down four German aeroplanes - his record day’s “bag”. On another occasion he and another airman brought down seven enemy machines before breakfast, Fullard accounting for three of them. Up to the middle of October [1917] the squadron to which he belongs had brought down 200 enemy machines, and their number now stands at about 250. The outstanding feature of Captain Fullard’s record is the few casualties his “flight” has suffered. For three months he worked with the same flight of six pilots without a casualty among them, and in that time they brought down more enemy machines than any other flight in France. His achievements are widely known among the flying men at the front, and the French call him “the English ace”. He had a narrow escape when fighting a German two-seater, his goggles being shot away from his eyes. The Verey lights in his machine caught fire and set the woodwork of the aeroplane alight, but he managed to get his burning machine back to the British lines.’

During the coming months, several attempts were made to repair the damage to Fullard’s leg before it was eventually plated. The War, however, would progress and during 1918 others surpassed his tally and Fullard’s star faded. He spent the majority of 1918, convalescing and frustrated and it would not be until September 1918 that he was deemed fully fit for duty. Promoted Acting Major on 24 September 1918, it appears that he did not return to front line duty before the end of the War.

Post-War
Awarded a permanent Commission as Captain on 1 August 1919, Fullard was posted to America on ‘special duties’ touring with other successful Aces to promote the sale of Victory Loan Bonds. He would also be one of eight British and Empire Pilots to be honoured with the award of the Aero Club of America’s Medal of Honor and Merit; other recipients included the V.C. winners Bishop, Mannock, McCudden, and Ball. Listed as a Flight Commander, later Officer Commanding 12 Squadron between 1919 and 1922, he was promoted Squadron Leader in 1929 and given command of No. 2 Squadron in January 1933. In December 1933 he attended a course at the Army Staff College, Quetta, and in July 1935 he took command of No. 5 Squadron, serving during the operations on the North West Frontier. Fullard was posted to Home Establishment on sick leave at the end of that year and was promoted to Wing Commander in 1936.

Having advanced to Group Captain in July 1939, at the outbreak of the Second War, Fullard served as Officer Commanding No. 14 (Fighter) Group, an air component of the B.E.F. From November 1940 he served at Headquarters, No. 10 (Fighter) Group and having been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 1941, was advanced to Air Commodore in March. Serving at Headquarters, Fighter Command from June 1942 and Acting Officer Commanding No. 246 (Special Operations) Group in 1943, in August that year Fullard served as Secretary to the Military Mission to Portugal. He retired with the rank of Air Commodore shortly after the end of the Second World War.

What could have been, had Fullard not broken his leg in November 1917, can only be guessed but his ratio for front line flying to the number of aerial victories obtained was unsurpassed by any of the British Aces who had more victories during the Great War. Mannock, with 61 victories, flew for 16 months, McCudden with 57 victories, flew for 19 months, and Beauchamp-Proctor, with 54 victories, flew for 13 months. Had Fullard carried on flying, it is quite possible he could have surpassed the victory score of any Ace of any nation. It is equally possible he would have eventually met his match in combat, or like McCudden, would be killed in a flying accident. More importantly, Fullard survived one of hardest fought periods of the ‘Air War’ and by the war’s end was the second highest scoring living British Ace.

Aged 81, Fullard was interviewed by historian Peter Liddle, with many of Fullard’s own quotes being published in ‘Captured Memories 1900-1918: Across the Threshold of War’ from which many of the above quotes were taken. He there sums up Fullard:
‘Even after 60 years there was no trace of fake sentiment, merely the chilling reality of an experience he regarded as a fight to the death. It cut to the core of a coldly calculating rationale that, added to a consistency of courage and considerable prowess, marked Fullard as one of the most lethal yet least remembered fighter pilots.’ He died on 24 April 1984, aged 86.

Sold with the recipient’s pre-Second War tunic riband bar; ‘ticker-tape’ entitlement slip for his Second War awards; a gold (9ct) identity disc, engraved ‘P. F. Fullard, Offr. CofE. 02147 R.A.F.’; a silver cricket medal, the reverse engraved ‘Open Cup 1930, Winners A.H.Q. Iraq’, in fitted case; a Royal Flying Corps sweetheart brooch; the recipient’s flying goggles; and a large portrait photograph of the recipient, mounted in a glazed frame.

For the recipient’s Aero Club of America’s Medal for Honour and Merit, see the following lot.

This lot is now sold with the recipient’s Aero Club of America’s Medal for Honour and Merit, listed in the catalogue as lot 142.