Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A unique Great War air operations M.C., D.C.M., Iraq 1924 D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant E. P. Roberts, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps: a long served member of No. 3 Squadron, he claimed two enemy aircraft destroyed and was twice wounded in combat - McCudden, V.C. describes in his memoir Flying Fury how he drove him to hospital on the first occasion he returned to base wounded, attributing his misfortune to the marksmanship of Max Immelmann: more certain is the fact he was the victim of Erwin Bohme on the second occasion, when his aircraft spun down from 8,000 feet and crashed near Flers

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (1689 Cpl. E. P. Roberts, R.F.C.); 1914 Star, with clasp (2/A.M. E. P. Roberts, R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. E. P. Roberts, R.F.C.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan (F./L. E. P. Roberts, R.A.F.), together with an R.A.F. Fencing Championship Medal for bayonet v. bayonet, 3rd Prize, engraved ‘Flt. Lieut. E. P. Roberts, M.C., D.C.M.’, the fifth and last with minor official corrections to naming, generally good very fine (8) £20,000-25,000

M.C. London Gazette 3 May 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry in action, he three times dispersed an enemy working party with bombs and machine-gun fire from a height of 1,000 feet. On another occasion, he shot down an enemy machine. He has shown great determination on many occasions in taking photographs under the most difficult and trying conditions.’

The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and skill. He has shown great determination on many occasions in taking photographs in spite of bad weather and interference by hostile machines.

On 15 September 1916, he dispersed three times with bombs and machine-gun fire a German working party from a height of 1,000 feet.

On 22 November 1916, finding weather conditions made photography impossible over the Corps area, he flew unescorted 6,000 feet over the lines and took a number of successful photographs of the counter-battery area. Later on the same day, when again attempting to photograph the Corps area, he went to the assistance of a de Havilland scout and shot down one of the attacking machines. His Observer was seriously wounded and most of the controls being shot away, the machine fell, turning over and over, from 8,000 feet, hitting the ground near Flers. In this accident he sustained a fractured leg’ (T.N.A. AIR 1/1032/204/5/1434 refers).

D.F.C. London Gazette 25 May 1926:

‘For gallant and distinguished services during operations in Iraq, September to November 1924’.

The original recommendation states:

‘For outstanding courage and devotion to duty throughout the operations. Flight Lieutenant Roberts displayed bold leadership and determination in opposing the crossing of the Iraq frontier by a party of enemy troops. After heavy losses had been inflicted on them, the enemy retired precipitously. This officer then reassembled his formation, carried out a very close reconnaissance over a wide area and subsequently inflicted heavy casualties on another enemy body found concealed in a wadi’ (T.N.A. AIR 30/66/3 refers).

D.C.M. London Gazette 11 March 1916:

‘For consistent good work as an Observer. In September when certain photographs were urgently required, and the clouds were very low, he took the photographs under heavy fire.’

The original recommendation states:

‘Corporal Roberts has done excellent work as an Observer from 1 June to 10 October 1915. In September, when photographs of Cite St. Elie were urgently required and the clouds were very low, he took photographs at 2,000 feet under a heavy fire’ (T.N.A. AIR 1/1479/204/36/127 refers).

Elmer Peter Roberts, who was born at Waldron, Sussex in March 1892, qualified for his Royal Aero Club of Great Britain Aviator’s Certificate (No. 889) on a Henry Farman Biplane at the Pashley School, Shoreham in August 1914. Shortly afterwards ordered to France, he arrived there on 6 November in the rank Air Mechanic 2nd Class, his earlier qualifications clearly marking him out for services as an Observer.

And so it was to prove after he joined No. 3 Squadron, a unit of III Wing, 4th Brigade, in the May 1915, among his fellow Observers being James McCudden, in whose wartime memoir Flying Fury he receives due recognition - ‘Roberts was known to be a most competent Observer, and was the Squadron’s photographic specialist’.

The Squadron’s war diary records Roberts making his first sortie on 24 May, acting as Observer to Captain Charteris on a reconnaissance of Givenchy-La Bassee, and he continued to be employed on similar missions throughout the summer - copies of his extensive patrol reports are included - several of them ending in combats with enemy aircraft.

On 26 August 1915, in a Morane piloted by Lieutenant Saunders, while engaged in a reconnaissance of La Bassie, near Don, he fought an inconclusive engagement with an Aviatik, so, too, on the following day, over Lille, this time with 2nd Lieutenant C. A. Ridley as pilot. And In Flying Fury, McCudden makes reference to a close shave experienced by Roberts on 25 September 1915:

‘During the first day of the battle of Loos, Sergeant Watts was piloting Corporal Roberts, when a bullet from the ground went through the cabane of their Morane just between the occupants’ heads. Roberts, when he came back, said he had also seen a shell in the air. This seems incredible, but it is true.’

A fortnight later, Roberts’ luck ran out, when he and his pilot appear to have fallen victim to the famous German ace Max “Professor” Immelmann. McCudden continues:

‘Lieutenant Johnson and Corporal Roberts were doing photography east of Hulluch at about 8,000 feet when they were fired on by a Fokker which appeared out of the blue. Roberts, who was attending to his camera, never saw the Germans at all, and was shot through the thigh in about three places. I was on the aerodrome when the machine landed and took Roberts to hospital, as he was rather badly shot about. The Fokker was seen to attack this Morane, and no doubt this was also “Professor” Immelmann.’

As verified by Royal Flying Corps Communique No. 14, Roberts, as Observer, only had a rifle to defend his Morane:

‘10 October 1915 - Lieutenant Johnson and Corporal Roberts of No. 3 Squadron, in a Morane armed with a rifle, when doing photography over Hulluch at 2.15 p.m., were attacked by a hostile aeroplane which approached close behind them unseen and fired about 20 rounds from a machine-gun, hitting Corporal Roberts in three places. The Morane then returned to our lines.’

He was awarded the D.C.M., one of 92 such awards granted to the R.F.C. and Empire Air Forces in the Great War - of which only 34 were in respect of gallant deeds in the air - and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment, returning to flying duties as an instructor in the U.K. in 1916. Inevitably, however, he was once more ordered to France, joining his old unit, No. 3 Squadron, later in the year, relevant records revealing him back on operations in ‘C’ Flight in early June, flying a combination of trench reconnaissances and contact patrols.

On 15 September 1916, he dispersed three times with bombs and machine-gun fire a German working party from a height of 1,000 feet, while on 1 October, as cited in the following combat report, he had another lucky escape when attacked by seven Roland Biplanes - ‘apparently single-seater, with machine-guns firing through propellor’:

‘We attacked these machines over Beaulencourt, firing a drum at the nearest one from the front gun at about 150 yards range, then turned sharply to change drums and four of them dived on to our tail, but were driven off by the Observer’s gun. Two F.Es then joined in the fight. One Roland was observed to dive at a Parasol over Gueudecourt and we dived after him, driving him off. Assisted the two F.Es attack the other six and during the fighting one Roland fell in a nose dive, apparently hit by fire from an F.E. It nose dived straight into the ground and was wrecked at about N.16.d The remaining machines then dived in their own lines and disappeared east.’

The action was subsequently reported in Royal Flying Corps Communique No. 56.

On 22 November 1916, Roberts claimed his second enemy aircraft but, as cited above, was compelled to make a forced landing later in the day, sustaining a fractured leg. His Observer, Captain G. L. Watson, was also wounded, their Morane having been badly shot about in a combat over Longueval with German ace Leutnant Erwin Bohme. Roberts was evacuated to the U.K. via Rouen - and awarded the M.C.

Post-war, Roberts was advanced to Flight Lieutenant and served with No. 6 Squadron at Hinaidi, Iraq, 1922-24, flying Bristol Fighters, in which period he qualified for his General Service Medal for Kurdistan. But he was a member of No. 14 Squadron, flying D.H. 9As, at the time of winning his D.F.C. - one of just three such awards gazetted in 1926.

Placed on the Reserve of Air Force Officers in October 1926, he remained active as a pilot, renewing his private flying licence in June 1932, and was employed as Superintendent of the Bristol Aeroplane Company’s canteens. He died in September 1942; sold with the recipient’s original Federation Aeronautique Internionale (British Empire) Aviator’s Certificate, with portrait photograph, dated 24 May 1932, and Air Ministry Private Pilot’s Flying Licence, also with portrait photograph, dated 9 June 1932, together with a Great War photograph of the recipient seated in his aircraft, and extensive copied research, including original recommendations, and combat and patrol reports.

The recipient only had one confirmed ‘victory’, not two as stated