Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: 2nd Lieutenant C. Sunderland, Royal Air Force, late West Yorkshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, who flew operationally as an Observer in No. 4 Squadron in March-August 1918, claiming at least one enemy aircraft out of control

British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut. C. Sunderland, R.A.F.), the first with official correction to surname, nearly extremely fine (2) £250-300

Carl Sunderland was born in Skipton, Yorkshire in November 1893 and was educated at Buxton College. A cotton manufacturer by profession, in the family firm at Nelson, Lancashire, he enlisted in the 11th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, in August 1914, but was discharged on medical grounds before the year’s end.

However, he made a successful application to join the Royal Flying Corps in July 1917, when he was appointed a cadet for training as an Observer. Duly qualified and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in October 1917, he was posted to No. 4 Squadron out in France in March 1918, and quickly saw action in the unit’s R.E. 8s, a case in point being an encounter with four enemy aircraft while engaged on a photographic mission with his pilot, 2nd Lieutenant G. H. Langley, on 12 April:

‘When flying west of Steenwercke, four single-seaters were sighted, flying towards us about 700 yards distant and 300 feet higher. Three of the enemy aircraft dived and opened fire, first one, and then two simultaneously. After the first burst, which went through the top-plane, the Observer opened fire on the first attacking machine, which flew off. The Observer then opened fire on one of the other two. Both then turned south-east, and flew out of range. Observer fired 80 rounds during the combat.’

A few days later, on the 18th, while flying on another photographic mission with 2nd Lieutenant W. E. M. Whittaker as his pilot, Sunderland’s gunnery was better rewarded:

‘While flying east over Meteren at 3,500 feet, three Albatross aircraft were sighted diving towards us out of a cloud. By spirals and side-slips the pilot prevented the enemy machines opening fire, at the same time enabling the Observer to fire 100 rounds. One machine was seen to be hit, and was seen to be out of control, and was last seen in a vertical dive close to the ground over Merris. Machine was not seen to crash owing to presence of other enemy aircraft. Infantry are being asked for confirmation.’

Sutherland transferred to the Unemployed List in February 1919.