Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 81

(x) The Great War Memorial Plaques awarded in memory of Second Lieutenant J. C. G. Drummond and Second Lieutenant P. Chavasse, both of No. 59 Squadron, Royal Air Force, whose R.E.8 succumbed to the guns of the German Ace Otto Schmidt on 8 October 1918; both young men, and in Chavasse’s case having only been flying in operational service for less than a week

Memorial Plaque (John Cecil George Drummond; Percy Chavasse), very fine (2)

John Cecil George Drummond was born in Chiswick, Middlesex in March 1899, the son of a telegraph clerk at the General Post Office, and he was educated at Christ’s Hospital School. He joined the Recruits Depot of the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917 and was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant in January 1918. Drummond carried out pilot training and was posted for operational flying with 59 Squadron (R.E.8.s) on the Western Front in July 1918. His aircraft suffered damage when ‘heavily fired at... by rifle and machine gun fire while on counter attack patrol’ whilst over Irles and Achiet Le Grand on 23 August 1918. The latter was flown with with Second Lieutenant H. S. Dudson as his Observer, but as the weeks passed Drummond formed a more frequent flying partnership with Second Lieutenant Percy Chavasse as his Observer.

Drummond and Chavasse flew multiple counter attack patrols together during the first week of October 1918. They were shot down and killed by the German Ace Otto Schmidt (the commanding officer of Jasta 5) near Wambaix on 8 October 1918. Both pilot and observer are commemorated together on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

Percy Chavasse was an orphan, and lived with his sister at his aunt and uncle’s house at 7 Trinity Avenue, Lenton, Nottingham. Chavasse was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers on 28 August 1917. He was attached to the Royal Flying Corps and qualified as an Observer on 14 September 1918. Chavasse was posted for operational service in France on 29 September 1918 and joined 59 Squadron on 2 October. He was immediately thrust in action with Second Lieutenant Drummond as his pilot. He succumbed to the same fate as his pilot when he fell under the guns of Otto Schmidt on 8 October 1918.

Sold with the following original items relating to J. C. G. Drummond: Christ’s Hospital Tyson Prize awarded to recipient - leather bound copy of Aircraft in Warfare by F. W. Lanchester, front cover detached but with bookplate ‘Presented by The Governors of Christ’s Hospital To J. C. G. Drummond for Science, Grecians Examination July 1917’; two portrait photographs of recipient in uniform; a ‘Black Cat’ good luck postcard sent by recipient to ‘Mrs Drummond, “Ashton”, Martello Terrace, Kingstown, Ireland’; and copied research for both Drummond and Chavasse.



Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£240