A Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force

Three: Flight Lieutenant R. M. Clifford, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who piloted Schneider seaplanes in operations against targets in Aden in 1916

1914-15 Star (Flt. Sub. Lt. R. M. Clifford, R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. M. Clifford, R.A.F.), good very fine (3) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force.

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Reginald Morgan Clifford was born in April 1889 and entered the Royal Naval Air Service as a Probationary Flight Sub. Lieutenant in May 1915, direct from his appointment as a Second Officer in the Mercantile Marine. Taking his Aviator’s Certificate (No. 1741) at the Grahame-White School, Hendon, that September, he joined the seaplane carrier H.M.S. Empress a few weeks later, in which capacity he remained actively employed in the Eastern Mediterranean until the end of 1916, on occasion on attachment to another seaplane carrier, the Raven II, and to No.2 Wing R.N.A.S. at Thasos.

And as evidenced by official records, he undertook a number of bombing sorties against targets in Aden in the same period - thus two Schneider seaplane operations mounted from Raven II in the Red Sea on 31 March 1916, when Clifford dropped four bombs on an enemy camp near Waht - ‘there was considerable rifle and machine-gun fire at the camp and the three seaplanes that reached it were all several times hit’ - and later that day four more on the western village at Subar. In fact Clifford flew another double-sortie from Raven II the very next day, his seaplane being engaged by a gun situated between Abdurrub Bubakr and Amr Maudtha, while in the course of a reconnaissance flight from El Arish to Bir on 25 April, he ran into an enemy aircraft. His flight report takes up the story:

‘Reconnoitred North Road at a height of 2,000 feet. No movements were observed on the road. When in the vicinity of Lake Bardawil observed enemy aeroplane astern about six miles at altitude of about 5,000 feet, diving and giving chase. Altered course to seaward and kept machine down, attaining a speed of 80 knots and dropping rapidly. Enemy machine continued chase to about 15 miles out at sea, firing machine-gun (apparently mounted abaft the pilot’s seat) at intervals. When at 200 feet released bombs to lighten machine and altered course sharply in direction of ship. Enemy machine ceased fire and sheered off, steering south and climbing. His machine appeared to be a two-seater, with pilot in front; only one gun was carried which could not fire ahead. Damage to machine - one shot in chassis strut and two holes in fuselage fabric.’

The same report notes that Clifford’s sole defensive armament was ‘one Webley semi-automatic pistol.’

Invalided home from Malta with malaria in December 1916, Clifford returned to duty at East Fortune in July 1917, but ‘made a bad landing in a seaplane, bouncing on to the beach and totally wrecking the aircraft - pilot sustained severe cuts to face, legs and head’ (his service record refers), as a consequence of which he requested a transfer from seaplanes to aeroplanes. Advanced to Acting Flight Commander in February 1918, his request appears to have been accepted, since he ended the War as ‘a Camel Flight Commander’ in No. 205 (Training) Squadron back in France. Clifford was placed on the Unemployed List in July 1919 but was re-appointed as a Flying Officer in the General Duties Branch in May 1923, and attained the rank of Flight Lieutenant prior to resigning his commission in September 1924; sold with extensive research.