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

Three: Lieutenant (Pilot) F. C. E. Clarke, No. 5 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, and Worcestershire Regiment, killed in aerial combat on 11 October 1917, the sixteenth victim of the German ace, Julius Buckler

1914-15 Star (Lieut., Worc. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.); together with memorial plaque (Francis Charles Erlin Clarke) all mounted in a contemporary fitted glazed display case, glass cracked, with ivorene label, bearing badges of R.A.F. & Worcestershire Regiment, and additionally inscribed with recipients rank and name, nearly extremely fine (4) £600-700

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

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Francis Charles Erlin Clarke was born in 1896, and educated at Marlborough College and Sandhurst. He received a commission in the Worcestershire Regiment on 16 December 1914, before being sent to France in June 1915, where he remained until July of the following year, when he was invalided home. He then applied for the Royal Flying Corps, and was attached in October 1916, and after various periods of training was sent back to France as a member of 5 Squadron.

Lieutenant Clarke died of wounds received in aerial combat over Arras on 11 October 1917. He was the pilot of an RE8 which came into contact with several enemy machines, subsequently being shot down in the ensuing combat. His observer died of wounds the following day on 12 October 1917, both airmen being buried in Duisans British Cemetery, France. His plane was claimed by the German air ace, Julius Buckler, his 16th, out of a total of 36 aerial victories. By November 1918, Buckler had established himself as the ninth (joint) highest scoring surviving German fighter ace of the Great War.

The following is extracted from a letter published in a Worcestershire newspaper on 27 October 1917, written by the C.O. of No. 5 Suadron on the day Clarke was killed: ‘It is with the deepest regret I have to inform you of the death of your son, Lieutenant F. C. E. Clarke, at about 8:40 a.m. this morning. He was flying on a patrol of the front line, when he was attacked by four or five enemy scout machines. From all accounts of eye witnesses he put up a splendid fight, but being terribly outnumbered with fighting machines he was unable to escape.

It was a morning when the clouds were thick and numerous, and apparently he was just below the level of the lowest, when the enemy came down from the clouds or round them and got to close quarters before your son saw them; his observer was P. Mighell, who is now very seriously wounded and unable to move. Apparently they fought to the last, and I have nothing but praise and admiration for the way your son evidently kept his head to the last. When the first people got near he was found to be unconscious, and died very soon afterwards. He had been wounded in the neck and body, and the concussion on landing must have rendered him unconscious.

His observer had wounds in the thigh, and is now suffering from shock and probably spine fracture. I don’t think that, but for your sons bravery and grit in sticking it to the last, his observer would have been killed outright. As it was, a bad landing was made, and the machine crashed to the ground. It must have been humanly guided or there would have been practically nothing left. I and the squadron are awfully sorry to lose him, although he was here such a short time, I knew him to be a good fellow directly he came in, and I liked him very much indeed. ..’