Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The outstanding Second World War C.B.E., Great War fighter ace’s D.F.C. and Bar group of nine awarded to Brigadier C. G. Ross, South African Air Force, late Royal Air Force and Royal Flying Corps, who claimed and shared in 20 victories over the Western Front in less than six months in 1918 and rose to senior command in the S.A.A.F. in the 1939-45 War - of which latter force he was a founder member

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Capt. C. G. Ross, R.A.F.); War Medal 1939-45 (P 86923 C. G. Ross), officially impressed naming; Africa Service Medal 1939-45 (P 86923 C. G. Ross), officially re-impressed naming; Jubilee 1935, officially inscribed by the South African Mint, ‘Maj. C. G. Ross, S.A.A.F.’; Coronation 1953; Belgium, Croix de Guerre 1914-18, very fine and better (9) £18000-22000

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1945.

D.F.C. London Gazette 2 November 1918:

‘A bold and skilful airman who has, during the last few months, accounted for four enemy machines. On 8 August, when on offensive patrol, he engaged a two-seater, driving it down. On his return journey he saw a hostile balloon, which he destroyed, the observer escaping in his parachute.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 3 December 1918:

‘A fine fighting pilot and leader who has destroyed twelve enemy machines. On 2 October he, with three other machines, attacked eight Fokker biplanes; in the engagement that followed four of these were destroyed, Captain Ross accounting for one.’

Belgian Croix de Guerre London Gazette 15 July 1919.

Charles Gordon “Carl” Ross, who was born in Edinburgh in March 1897, moved with his family to South Africa in 1902, and was educated at St. Edmund’s College, Grahamstown, Transvaal University and the School of Mines in Johannesburg. Enlisting in the South African Expeditionary Force’s Mechanical Transport at Roberts Heights in February 1917, he was discharged two months later on being granted a cadetship in the Royal Flying Corps.

Royal Flying Corps

Having then completed his pilot training at Upavon and elsewhere, he was commissioned and posted to No. 29 Squadron out in France in March 1918, the commencement of a remarkably successful combat career in which he accounted for 12 and four shared enemy aircraft destroyed, another two out of control, and one and one shared balloons, the whole within a six month period between May and November.

His first success, piloting one of 29 Squadron’s S.E. 5As, was claimed on 26 May 1918, in a combat south of Bailleul, and shared with Captain Rusby, and over the next three days he enjoyed three further successful combats, namely another enemy aircraft downed in flames just west of Nieppe on the 27th, a victory witnessed by Rushby and Lieutenant Venter; another shared with Rusby over Neuve Eglise on the 28th, and an Albatross DV brought down over Merville on the 29th.

In early June, Ross claimed a further shared victory, namely a Pfalz DIII after a combat west of Armentieres in the early evening of the 6th, the enemy machine being followed down and engaged from 13,000 to 1000 feet before falling out of control and crashing; while in July, on the 28th, he followed a DFW down to 1500 feet, getting in 200 rounds before the enemy aircraft crashed near Fournes.

But it was in August that he experienced the busiest month of his combat career, commencing with a hostile kite balloon destroyed at 2500 feet over Estaires on the 8th - ‘Lieutenant Ross attacked H.K.B. from a range of 400 yards and fired bursts into it up to a range of 50 yards - 200 rounds in all. H.K.B. burst into flames and was destroyed. Observer jumped out in parachute’ (relevant combat report refers). A few days later, on the 12th, two patrols of 29 Squadron, flying at different heights, engaged eight Fokker biplanes and one Pfalz scout, the ensuing dogfight resulting in the destruction of five of the enemy aircraft, one of them being credited to Ross’ guns. Then on the 16th, he claimed an identical enemy aircraft over Poelcapelle - a victory witnessed by an artillery battery - and on the 22nd a DFW over Estaires, this latter crashing into a field after Ross had engaged it from 4000 feet. Two days later, he shared in the destruction of another H.K.B. east of Ypres, so, too, claimed a D.F.W. 2-seater after firing 200 rounds at 2000 feet - the enemy aircraft crashed just east of the balloon line. And his final claim for August was a Fokker DVII south of Comines on the 24th.

On 20 September, during an operational patrol in the morning, Ross’ aircraft was hit by A.A. fire, compelling him to make a forced-landing, but he clearly emerged unscathed for, on the 28th, he accounted for a brace of Fokker DVIIs while patrolling over Menin:

‘At 5.10 p.m., the O.P. encountered seven Fokker biplanes at 10,000 feet over Menin. Three of the O.P. dived and Lieutenant Ross fired 50 rounds at close range into one. The E.A. burst into flames and fell south of Menin. Returning at 5.30 p.m., Lieutenant Ross, having rejoined Lieutenants Amm and Davies, met 15 Fokker biplanes at 6000 feet between Menin and Gheluvelt. Lieutenant Ross, who had climbed to 8000 feet, dived on one E.A., which he crashed near the Menin-Gheluvelt Road after firing 200 rounds at close range - confirmed by Lieutenant Davies’ (relevant combat report refers).

On 2 October, 29 Squadron engaged eight Fokker biplanes in the neighbourhood of Roulers, Ross engaging one of them with 150 rounds at close range, his adversary subsequently being seen to crash to the north-east by Lieutenant Lovemore. And two days later, another Fokker DVII fell to his guns east of Halluin:

‘Captain Ross then climbed to meet top E.A. formation, and later, at 0935 hours, engaged them between Lille and Menin. These latter were further escorted by 12 more E.A. But Captain Ross chose his opportunity - when the escorting E.A. were far away - and, diving on them, got to close the range of one of the E.A. and, firing 150 rounds, sent it down and saw it crash just east of Halluin. Lieutenant Lovemore saw this E.A. coming down past his tail with the enemy pilot doubled up in the cockpit’ (relevant combat report refers).

Then on 7 October, in a combat over the Staden-Courtrai sector, Ross managed to drive down a Fokker biplane but had to pull out when attacked by another seven enemy aircraft. But better luck awaited him in the final days of the War, the 9 November witnessing him claim a brace of Fokker DVIIs over Laerne - one as shared - while on the 10th he claimed his final victim, another Fokker, in a combat north of Elene. In the former engagement, in his customary manner, Ross had locked onto the tails of his victims at close range.

In addition to his D.F.Cs, he was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 11 July 1919 refers), and was placed on the Unemployed List in April 1919, in the rank of Captain.

South African Air Force

Returning to South Africa after the War, he undertook civilian flying until joining the South African Air Force on its formation in January 1922, in the rank of Lieutenant, in No. 1 Squadron, S.A.A.F. at Zwartkop Aerodrome, Pretoria, thereafter specialising in survey work and air photography - thus an air survey of Northern Zululand and his leadership of the first party to photograph the Zimbabwe Ruins from the air.

In the summer of 1936, however, in the rank of Major, his career progressed to more senior command and staff duties, commencing with attendance of the Senior Officer’s Staff Course at Sheerness in England, and a visit to Germany, where he visited aircraft factories and spent a day each with the von Richthofen Squadron, the German Air Force Technical College and an Anti-Aircraft Battery, in addition to attending the Olympic Games in Berlin.

And back in South Africa, he went on to serve as a Staff Officer in Transvaal Command until June 1939, when he was appointed O.C. Witwatersrand Command at Johannesburg - a sensitive time in lieu of riots. Advanced to Colonel in 1940, he was appointed Inspector of the S.A.A.F that August, and attained the rank of Brigadier when he took command of 31 Group, S.A.A.F., in early 1944, this latter post leading to the award of his C.B.E.

Post-war, he joined the Department of Transport as Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority and, in 1946 travelled to Europe, Canada and the U.S.A. to study civil aviation methods of direction and control. He also acted as Delegate for South Africa at the General Assembly of the I.C.A.O. at Montreal in May 1947 and at the Geneva Air Conference in November of the same year.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book (Army Book 425), covering the period September 1917 to March 1918; his South African Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Books (7), covering the periods January 1922 to October 1923, October 1923 to March 1926, April 1926 to February 1928, March 1928 to November 1929, December 1929 to May 1932, June 1932 to December 1934 and January 1935 to April 1940, the first four bound as one volume; a run of the recipient’s pocket diaries for the period 1947-69; a selection of career photographs (approximately 10 images), from R.F.C. days to C.B.E. investiture as a Brigadier, S.A.A.F.; two or three invitations and letters; a blue leather wallet with ‘C. G. Ross’ in gilt to front cover; a small wooden shield with crest; and a metalled ‘South Africa’ shoulder title.

See Lot No. 597 for the recipient’s miniature dress medals.