A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars

Three: Second Lieutenant (Pilot) D. P. Cox, No. 27 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, formerly Royal Engineers, killed in aerial combat on 6 July 1917, the fourteenth victim of the German ace, Hans Bethge

1914-15 Star (30372 Cpl., R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut.); together with memorial plaque (Derek Percy Cox); and an illustrative set of campaign medals for his son, Lieutenant D. P. Z. Cox, Fleet Air Arm, comprising, 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; and War Medal 1939-45, generally extremely fine (8) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

View
Collection

Derek Percy Cox was born in 1896, the only son of Major-General Sir Percy and Lady Cox, and was educated at Harrow, Woolwich, and Sandhurst. He joined the Machine Gun Corps early in 1915, before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in May of the following year, having already received his commission. Second Lieutenant Cox was killed in action on 21 August 1917, whilst on a bombing operation in a Martinsyde ‘Flying Elephant’. His plane being involved in an aerial collision whilst in combat east of Seclin, was driven down by the German air ace Hans Bethge, of Jasta 30, his fourteenth out of a total of twenty victories. He is buried at Cabaret-Rouge Cemetery, France.

His C.O. wrote after his death ‘Your husband was a splendid pilot and had done extremely good work. He is a very great loss to the squadron, both on account of his capabilities and his personality which endeared him to everybody.’

Derek Percy Zacariah Cox was born in 1918, the year of his fathers death. He was killed in action whilst serving as a Pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, aboard H.M.S. Avenger, when she was torpedoed and sunk by U155 on 15 November 1942, whilst west of Gibraltar.

Sold with a comprehensive file of copied research material, including two previous combat reports submitted by Cox, copies from the squadron record book, and a photograph of the plane in which he was flying when he was killed.