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Auction: 24113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 297

Victory Medal 1914-19 (Flt.S.Lt. W. G. Little. R.N.A.S.), very fine

William Gillard Little was born on 13 June 1890 and lived in Broome, Western Australia from 1909 until November 1915 during which time he worked as a pearl fisherman. He moved to the UK and later joined the Royal Naval Air Service on 13 August 1916 at Crystal Palace, South London, before moving to Cranwell on 16 September 1916. Little transferred to Dover on 22 January 1917 and joined No. 2 Wing on 12 February 1917 and left England for France on 17 February 1917. He returned to the UK, being stationed at Cranwell, on 21 April 1917. It was requested that he be surveyed at Admiralty on 8 August 1917. Little was admitted to Greenwich Hospital on 10 September 1917 for a four week stay and was discharged on 11 October 1917. He was re-surveyed again on 7 November 1917 and was still found unfit for service, this continuing for sometime afterwards. On 7 March 1918 he was considered only fit for ground duties.

Despite his health issues, Little was found to have been a 'fair' pilot yet good at aerial gunnery and flew many types of aircraft. His crashes according to his service papers were due to bad luck, additionally he was considered not a very good officer and not suited to command. He was transferred to the unemployed list on 1 March 1919.

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Sold for
£55

Starting price
£30