Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Air Commodore D. Le G. Pitcher, 4 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, and 39th King George´s Own Central India Horse, ’One of the Pioneers of Flying in India’, who flew with the squadron which ‘on 19th August, 1914, shared R.F.C.’s first reconnaissance in the field with No. 3 Squadron and also in that month recorded what was probably the first aerial engagement with an enemy aircraft. On 31st October, 1914, made what is believed to be the first attack by an aeroplane on ground targets.’

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, minor enamel damage; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; 1914 Star, with later slide clasp (Capt. D. Le. G. Pitcher. 39/Horse.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Brig. Gen. D. Le G. Pitcher. R.A.F.); France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer´s breast Badge, 55mm including wreath suspension x 40mm, silver-gilt and enamel, with rosette on riband; Italy, Kingdom, Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, Knight’s breast Badge, 58mm including crown suspension x 36mm, silver-gilt and enamel; Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal, unsuccessful (2) (Lieut. D. Le G. Pitcher. 13th April. 1904), suspension re-affixed on one, with a duplicate medal, this complete, breast awards mounted court-style as originally worn, with ten associated miniature awards, including for the duplicate Royal Humane Society Medal, all housed in a glazed and hinged wooden display frame, generally very fine or better (lot) £4600-5000

Provenance: Spink, April 2008.

C.M.G. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

C.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

M.I.D. London Gazette 16 March 1919 and 11 July 1919.

France, Officer of the Legion of Honour London Gazette 22 August 1917.

Italy, Officer of the Order of St. Maurice & St. Lazarus London Gazette 26 May 1917.

Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal, 1904, joint citation for Lieutenant´s D. Le. G. Pitcher and H.D.S. Keighley:

‘On the 13th April 1904, Lieutenant G.P. Hood, Central India Horse, was in a boat which capsized on a lake at Agar, Malwa, Central India. Pitcher and Keighley, at great risk, attempted to save him but failed, and he was drowned.’

Duncan Le Geyt Pitcher was born in Naini Tal, U.P., India, in 1877. He was the son of Colonel D.G. Pitcher, who was a member of the Oudh Commission, and was related to Captain H. W. Pitcher, V.C. - who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry at ‘Crag Picquet’ during the Umbeyla campaign of 1863. Pitcher was educated at Sedbergh School and Geneva University, before passing out from Sandhurst. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers in February 1898, before transferring as Lieutenant to the Indian Army in October 1901. Pitcher was initially posted to the 11th Rajputs, before transferring to the 39th Prince of Wale’s Own Central Horse. He served as Adjutant with the latter from 1904.

Pitcher was appointed Captain and Personal Assistant to the Agent in Central India in 1907, and the following year was appointed tutor to the Maharajah of Holkar. He served as Assistant Inspector of the Imperial Service Troops maintained by the Princes of Central India from 1910, and ‘he was one of the pioneers of flying in India - his pilot’s certificate of the Royal Aero Club was number 125’ (Obituary refers). His certificate was gained in a Bristol Biplane over Salisbury Plain in August 1911.

Pitcher served with the 39th King George’s Own Central India Horse in Central Persia, 1911-13, before joining the Central Flying School in 1914. With the outbreak of the Great War he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps, ‘When the war broke out, the Royal Flying Corps took the field with all its available forces. There were at Farnborough at that time a small group of officers belonging to the newly formed Indian Flying Corps... All these were swept into the net. Captains H.L. Reilly and D. Le G. Pitcher were at once made Flying Officers of No. 4 Squadron.´ (War in the Air Official History of the War, refers)

4 Squadron had been formed from a detachment of 2 Squadron, at Farnborough in August 1912. Pitcher was posted to the Squadron in the first week of August, and they flew patrols over the Straits of Dover and the Thames Estuary for two weeks prior to flying to France on 16 August 1914. The Squadron comprised of a mixed collection of the more serviceable aircraft available to the Royal Flying Corps, and ‘on 19th August, 1914, shared R.F.C.’s first reconnaissance in the field with No. 3 Squadron and also in that month recorded what was probably the first aerial engagement with an enemy aircraft. On 31st October, 1914, made what is believed to be the first attack by an aeroplane on ground targets.’ (Bomber Squadrons of the R.A.F. and Their Aircraft, by P. Moyes, refers)

As the opposing armies settled into static defence lines at the end of 1914, the Squadron were tasked with photo-reconnaissance and artillery observation duties. Pitcher was appointed Assistant Commandant, Central Flying School, in April 1915, before advancing to Major, and Commandant in December of the same year. He returned to the French Theatre of War as a Wing Commander from March 1916, and advanced to Temporary Brigadier-General the following month.

Pitcher was made Brevet Colonel in June 1919, and advanced to Air Commodore in August of the same year. He was appointed Controller of Technical Design to the Air Board, served as Director of Equipment with the Air Ministry, 1922-25, and as Officer Commanding 22nd Group R.A.F., 1926-29. Air Commodore Pitcher died at Mount Vernon Hospital, London, in September 1944.