Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Lieutenant F. S. Maxwell, 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force, one of a handful of pilots to qualify for the General Service Medal 1918-62 with ‘S. Persia’ clasp, and who subsequently went on to serve in Kurdistan and then as a Major with the South African Forces during the Second War; for which he was awarded the Protea Emblem - a unique combination of awards to the Royal Air Force

British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. F. S. Maxwell. R.A.F.); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, S. Persia, Kurdistan (Lieut. F. S. Maxwell. R.A.F.); War Medal 1939-45 (86175 F. S. Maxwell.); Africa Service Medal, with Protea Emblem (86175 F. S. Maxwell) officially re-impressed ; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Union of South Africa, the reverse engraved ‘T/Maj. F. S. Maxwell G.S.C.’, mounted for wear, lacking reverse pin, generally very fine or better (6) £2,000-£3,000

Approximately 30 General Service Medals for ‘S. Persia’ were awarded to Royal Air Force personnel, just five aircraft of No. 30 Squadron being present in the qualifying period November 1918 to June 1919.

Francis Severn Maxwell was born in Natal, South Africa in December 1898. He was employed as a mechanic prior to attesting as a Driver in the S.A.S.C. at Pretoria in December 1915. Maxwell was discharged for service with the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917, and posted to Egypt for pilot training. He qualified as a pilot and advanced to Flying Officer in November 1917. Maxwell was posted for operational flying with 72 Squadron at Basrah, but he was subsequently transferred for service with 30 Squadron in March 1918. The following extracts from The History of No. 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force by Major J. Everidge, R.A.F., published in 1919, give a flavour of Maxwell’s operational flying against Turkish forces from March 1918 - March 1919:

‘Period March 17th to 23rd, inclusive... Reconnaissances - Fourteen, of which eight were photographic, have been carried out. A reconnaissance was carried out on the 18th by Lieut. Maxwell (Pilot) and Lieut. Lindop, M.C. (Observer), over Khaan Baghdadi, Hadithah, Anah. No change in camps and no new digging was observed....

On the 26th [April] three machines, with Lieuts. Anson, Campbell and Maxwell as pilots, dropped 20 25-pounders on scattered troops and transport on Kara Tepe - Kifri Road. The raid did not produce excellent results as the targets were too small. Lieut. Anson got two bombs in the camps at Talishan.....

General - Orders have been received for one Flight to move immediately to North Persia. The disposition of the Squadron is now as follows: Headquarters and ‘C’ Flight, Baqubah; ‘B’ Flight and half Flight of ‘A’, Kifri; half Flight of ‘A’, Hamadan.....

Period September 22nd to 28th, 1918, inclusive.... Reconnaissances - On the 27th inst. a reconnaissance over the Halaba area was done as under by detached Flight at Kifri.

Lieut. Maxwell (Pilot), Lieut. Kinghorn (Observer), escorted by Lieut. Jenoure (Pilot) and Lieut. Yeates (Observer) report: - Reference map T.C. 230. Maidan, no movement and neither tents or shelters. Maidan Bani - Khalian Road. Nothing seen. Sheik Maidan, nothing seen. Halabja - What appeared to be about 12 shelters (rather less than the size of an E.P. tent) were seen on west side of town, and three white tents about half mile further out. No movement. Time taken, 2 hours 15 minutes.....

On the 12th [October] over the Taza area by Lieut. Maxwell (Pilot) and Lieut. Yeates (Observer) escorted by Lieut. Jenoure (Pilot) and Lieut. McNab (Observer) reported the Tauq Bridge intact. 11 small tents were seen south of the town. At Tazah 18 large shelters were seen, also 10 small tents and 150 men. No movement of transport was observed on any roads. Time taken, 2 hours.....

Five reconnaissances were carried out on the 25th and 26th [October]... Lieuts. Maxwell and McNab landed on Kirkuk Aerodrome one day too soon [it was captured by the British the following day] and were greeted by a hot fire from troops holding it. They were lucky enough to take off again, but not before the enemy had scored a large number of hits in their machine....

Bushire, January 9th to 25th, 1919.... On the 15th Major Everidge, with Corpl. Helps arrived. Lieuts. Fielden and Maxwell were detained at Ahwaz owing to the latter’s machine having magneto trouble. Lieuts. Fielden and Maxwell arrived with Corpls. Cagliari and Tidmarsh on the 16th...

Bombing - On the 27th [January] five machines bombed Robatak. On arrival the machines were fired on by tribesmen from the village. Several large tents were seen pitched in the serais of the town. Twenty-nine Coopers 20 lb bombs were dropped, 17 direct hits being obtained in the village, the inhabitants ran out of the village and took cover in neighbouring hills and nullahs.... Information received that Nasir Diwan’s son was very badly wounded during the first bomb raid. Pilots on each occasion were Major Everidge, Capt. Adams, Lieuts. Hawkins, Maxwell and Carryer....

Resume of ‘C’ Flight, Bushire, March 2nd to 8th, 1919.... Whilst machine-gunning at a low height, Capt. Adams was seen to crash very badly. Lieut. Bull went down to help him and touched the ground 12 yards from the other machine. The ground was found very rough and impossible to land on and he was obliged to take off again. He was very heavily fired on by a number of Persians at point blank range and his machine was badly shot about. He reported the engine of Capt. Adam’s machine was buried in the ground and the under carriage and left planes were wiped off, and also that there was no possibility of Capt. Adams being alive.

March 7th - Lieuts. Hawkins and Maxwell, with A/Ms. Porter and Judge, flew over the crash taking photos of it and saw the dead body of Capt. Adams lying close by it.’

After the cessation of air operations in Persia, Maxwell returned to Basrah, Mesopotamia and went on to take part in the Kurdistan operations. He later served with 63 Squadron in Iraq before travelling to the UK in July 1919 in order to be repatriated to South Africa. Maxwell transferred to the Unemployed List in December 1919, and volunteered for service with the outbreak of the Second World War. He was employed on recruiting duties, November 1939 - September 1945, having advanced to Temporary Major in November 1940 (the King’s Commendation Protea Emblem was authorised in the Government Gazette 31 December 1943, his Efficiency Decoration having been authorised in April of the same year).

Sold with copied service papers.