Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Lieutenant H. D. Hewett, Royal Air Force, late East Kent Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, an Observer who died of wounds after a combat over the Le Cateau front in October 1918

British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. H. D. Hewett, R.A.F.), good very fine (2) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F..

View
Collection

Howard Dudley Hewett, who was born in May 1896, enlisted in the Inns of Court O.T.C. in June 1915 and was subsequently commissioned in the 3rd Battalion, East Kent Regiment toward the end of the same year. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1916, he trained as an Observer, and was posted to No. 13 Squadron out in France in June 1918.

Operating in the Squadron’s R.E. 8s between then and his death from wounds in October, he flew around 40 artillery-spotting or photographic reconnaissance sorties, mainly with Lieutenant G. N. Dennis as his pilot but occasionally Major Garrod, M.C., too. And, as verified by the following combat report, dated 6 September 1918, not without the unwelcome attention of the enemy:

‘Whilst taking photographs near Bourlon Wood a formation of seven Fokker biplanes approached us from a northerly direction. One of the machines left the formation and dived on our tail. When about 40 yards away I fired a burst of 20 rounds into him with my rear gun and he was observed to dive steeply away in a S.E. direction, but we were unable to follow him down as the remainder of the enemy formation was preparing to attack us.

Another R.E. 8 on photographic duties (Pilot Lieutenant D. H. Howitt and Observer Lieutenant Wolf) reported on landing that at 10.20 a.m. they saw a Fokker biplane diving steeply and it burst into flames in the vicinity of Cantaing, with the remainder of the formation of Fokkers flying in an easterly direction.’

On 26 October, however, his R.E. 8 was jumped by enemy scouts over the Le Cateau front and badly shot-up, both he and his pilot, Lieutenant G. N. Dennis, being wounded - the latter managed to get them back to base but Hewett died of his wounds on the following day. The son of Mrs. Hewett of “Waiwera”, Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire, he is buried in Awoignt British Cemetery, France.