Three: Captain (Flight Commander) L. E. Whitehead, Nos. 60 & 65 Squadron, R.F.C. & R.A.F., formerly K.R.R.C., and 5th London Regiment, a confirmed ace with five victories to his credit, killed in aerial combat on 20 May 1918, the 21st victim of the German ace, Fritz Rumey

1914 Star, with clasp (9574 Pte., 5/Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt., R.A.F.) contained in a contemporary fitted case, extremely fine (3) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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Lewis Ewart Whitehead was born on 27 August 1894, and educated at Dulwich College. He joined the 5th London Regiment in 1912 and went to France with this regiment in November 1914. He was wounded in April 1915, and on recovery in July of that year, was commissioned into the 17th Battalion, K.R.R.C. In September 1915 he transferred to the R.F.C., being wounded on the Somme in July 1916, before being promoted to Captain and Flight Commander in March 1917. The following August he was involved in a crash, which left him with a broken thigh. He returned to France in April 1918 and was killed in action while engaged singly in his Camel with a number of German planes near Albert on 20 May 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Arras Flying Services Memorial, France. His plane was claimed by the German air ace Fritz Rumey, of Jasta 5, his 21st out of a total of 45 aerial victories. Leutnant Fritz Rumey was killed on 27 September 1918 after colliding with a British plane, he was the sixth highest scoring German ace of the Great War.

Captain Whitehead was himself a confirmed ace with 5 victories. The following information is extracted from official sources:

26 July 1916: Reconnaissance patrol in Morane BB, engaged by German LVGs near Bethune, shot up and forced to land at Verquin, Observer (2.A.M. E. R. Deal) wounded in action.

30 July 1916: Reconnaissance patrol in Morane BB, combat with five hostile aircraft over Estrees, forced to land at Baizieux, Lieutenant Whitehead and Observer (2nd Lieutenant W. E. G. Bryant) both wounded in action.

11 December 1916 (1st Victory, shared with 5 other members of 60 Sqdn.): Offensive patrol in Sopwith Camel, together with five other planes of 60 Squadron, intercepted a German Albatros over Dainville, all machines dived on it and opened fire forcing it to land. The pilot of the German machine was injured in the foot. Before surrendering, his observer set fire to the machine, but was severely injured in the process, owing to an explosion occurring.

2 May 1918 (2nd Victory): Whilst flying a Sopwith Camel over Cerisy-Lamotte, intercepted a German two seater, seen to be destroyed in flames.

3 May 1918 (3rd Victory, shared with 2nd Lieut. S. W. Crane): Combat over Heilly, dived on one of two enemy two seaters, and coming up under the tail of the E.A. fired a long burst from both guns, whereupon the E.A. went down under control and landed on our side of the lines.

15 May 1918 (4th Victory): Captain Whitehead was driven down from 14,000 to 1,000 feet by six E.A. scouts, S.E. of Villers-Brettoneaux. When he pulled out of a spin he found that one E.A. was on his tail and another still following. By making a quick turn he got on the tail of the first machine, an Albatros, and fired a burst into it at 20 yards range. The E.A. went down vertically and was seen to crash. Captain Whitehead’s machine was badly shot about.

17 May 1918 (5th Victory): Captain Whitehead attacked one E.A. scout, an Albatros, N.E. of Villers-Brettoneaux, which went down in a spin to 3,000 feet and then came out and dived away. Captain Whitehead followed the E.A. and fired at it again, the E.A. then dived vertically and its wings came off in the air. No. 65 Squadron made three claims on this day, one of whom was the German ace, Walter Ewers.

20 May 1918: Offensive patrol in a Sopwith Camel, seen in combat with 5 Fokkers S.E. of Albert, failed to return and presumed killed in action.