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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 538

A remarkable - likely unique - C.B., O.B.E., 'Kurdistan 1923' D.F.C., A.F.C. & 2 Bars, O.St.J. group of fourteen awarded to Air Vice-Marshal T. A. Langford-Sainsbury, Royal Air Force

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with evening neck riband; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer‘s breast badge, silver and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type, breast Badge, silver-gilt; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R.; Air Force Cross, G.V.R., with Second and Third Award Bars; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. T. A. Langford-Sainsbury. R.A.F.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan (F/O. T. A. Langford-Sainsbury R.A.F.), official correction to rank; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, these last fifteen mounted as worn, contact marks, very fine (17)

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1945.

O.B.E. London Gazette 11 July 1940.

D.F.C. London Gazette 10 June 1924.

A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

Second Award Bar to A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1921.

Third Award Bar to A.F.C. London Gazette 11 May 1937 (Commanding No. 48 Squadron, Manston.).

Thomas Audley Langford-Sainsbury was born on 23 November 1897 at Burghfield, Berkshire, the son of The Reverend T. H. Langford-Sainsbury. Educated at Radley from 1912, the young Langford-Sainsbury was a member of the Rugby XV in 1914 & 1915, besides giving his views to the debating society. Commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in September 1916, he was made Flying Officer on 8 May 1917, serving with No. 41 Squadron in France that year. They had managed with DH5 fighters but were eventually equipped with S.E.5a's that October. The Squadron flew to great effect during the Battles of Cambrai, during the German Spring Offensive and the Battle of Amiens before War's end. Langford-Sainsbury was in London during the summer, being married at St Mary Abbot's, Kensington in July 1918. He had previously flown with No. 141 Squadron at Biggin Hill in January 1918, he had the somewhat infamous record of having crashed the only Sopwith Dolphin which had been assigned to the unit for Home Defence duties (http://dcmaxecuter.org/planspage_files/ExtraStuff/No.%20169%20The%20Sopwith%20Dolphin%205f.I.pdf refers).

With his first A.F.C. coming at the start of 1919, Langford-Sainsbury was taken onto the books of the Royal Aircraft Establishment as a Test Pilot with the Experimental Section in September 1919, with his Permanent Commission coming in the same period. Whilst there he flew alongside the greats, including Hill, Bulman and Gerrard. Having added a Second Award Bar to the A.F.C., he joined No. 30 Squadron as a Pilot on 7 March 1922 and embarked for the Middle East. Serving with the Squadron in Kurdistan in 1923, he was flying DH.9As - for which he earned his D.F.C.

Joining No. 208 Squadron as a Flight Commander in April 1924, he took the same posting with No. 15 Squadron in May 1926. Langford-Sainsbury first commanded No. 36 Squadron in September 1932, before assuming command of No. 48 Squadron in January 1936. The rare accolade of a Third Award Bar to the A.F.C. came the following May, before going to the Air Staff of No. 16 Group in September 1938. Having earned his O.B.E. and been advanced Group Captain in 1 March 1940, Langford-Sainsbury was Air Officer Commanding, No. 15 Group from November 1942. He took up the position of Air Officer Commanding, No. 201 (Naval Co-Operation) Group in March 1943, with a 'mention' soon after (London Gazette 2 June 1943, refers), he was made Air Commodore in November 1943. Air Officer Commanding the Easter Mediterranean in February 1943, Langford-Sainsbury was thence Air Officer Commanding Egypt in November 1944. Made Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ Bomber Command in May 1945, he was afterwards AOA HQ British Air Forces of Occupation from 7 July 1947. Made Acting Air Vice-Marshal, he retired in that rank on 15 May 1949.

Retiring to Sussex, Langford-Sainsbury was a Managing Director in Fontwell and also played a prominent roll in the Order of St John in that region. He died at Chichester on 21 June 1972.

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Sold for
£10,000

Starting price
£8000