orders, decorations, campaign medals and militaria - Spink

orders, deCoratioNs, CampaigN medaLs aNd miLitaria
452
Family Group:
A Scarce Great War 1918 ‘French Theatre’ D.F.M. Pair to ‘Gunner Ace’
Sergeant Mechanic J. Grant, 57 Squadron, Royal Air Force
a) Distinguished Flying Medal, G.V.R. (100425 Sergt.-Mech. Grant, J., R.A.F.)
b) British War Medal (100425. Sgt. J. Grant. R.A.F.), generally very fine or better,
with the following related documents:
- Four Photographs of recipient in uniform
- Two Letters from the Royal Air Force Records Central Registry to addressed to
recipient concerning the dispatch of his D.F.M., dated 20.11.1919 and 26.11.1919
- Two Letters from recipient’s sister written to a collector, dated in the 1970’s
1914-15 Star (1291. L-Cpl. J. Grant. A.&S. Highrs.), very fine (3)
£3,000-3,500
D.F.M. London Gazette 3.12.1918 100425 Sergt.-Mech. James Grant (Sandbank, Argyllshire)
‘A gallant and capable non-commissioned officer who has accounted for six enemy aeroplanes.
On 1st September, whilst on a bomb raid his formation was attacked by fifteen Fokker biplanes
and five triplanes. In the severe fighting that ensued Sergt. Grant served his gun with exceptional
skill, crashing one enemy machine, and it was largely due to his good shooting that the enemy
were eventually driven off.’
100425 Sergeant Mechanic James Grant, D.F.M., the son of Simon and Agnes Grant, of
Sandbank, Argyll; enlisted Royal Flying Corps, 30.10.1917; advanced Sergeant Mechanic,
2.4.1918; re-mustered as Observer, April 1918 and qualified as Observer (N.C.O.), 4.7.1918;
served with 57 Squadron (D.H. 4’s), Le Quesnoy, France, from 6.5.1918; and flew in long
distance reconnaissance, bombing, and photography operations with the squadron; initially
paired with Lieutenant C.W. Peckham, Grant spent the end of May and the beginning of June
flying on reconnaissance missions over Bapaume Dump; his first success came on 10.6.1918,
‘during a bomb raid on Bapaume Dump, Lt. C.W. Peckham and Sergeant J. Grant, 57
Squadron, were attacked by eight Fokker triplanes at the first of which Sergeant Grant fired,
sending it down in flames. The remaining E.A. then headed off the D.H. 4, compelling it to fly
north. A little later another E.A. opened fired from below; Lt. Peckham dived on it, and after
firing 80 rounds saw it crash to the ground. The D.H.4 then returned home’ (R.A.F.
Communiques refers); another success followed nine days later when engaging six Pfalz Scouts
over the Bapaume area; with Lieutenant J.T. Kirkland as his pilot, Grant shared a forced down
out of control with a D.H. 4 piloted by Captain C.H. Stokes; whilst flying with Lieutenant E.M.
Coles, Grant managed to add another two enemy aircraft destroyed to his total, ‘14.8.1918 - A
formation of 57 Squadron was attacked on returning from a bomb raid. One E.A. which got on
the tail of Capt. A. McGregor, was shot down by his observer (Lt. I.F.D. Tanqueray), the pilot
being seen to jump out in a parachute just before the machine caught fire.
Sergeant J. Grant (observer) with Lt. E.M. Coles also shot down a hostile machine which was
on his tail, the pilot again descending in a parachute.
1.9.1918 - during the course of bomb raids carried out by 57 Squadron enemy scouts, which
attacked their formations, were successfully engaged. Sgt. D.E. Edgley and Sgt. N. Sandison
brought one hostile machine down in flames and drove another out of control. Lt. E.M. Coles
and Sergeant J. Grant, and Lt. F.O. Thornton and 2Lt. F.C. Craig, destroyed two more hostile
machines’ (Ibid); the first week of September saw Grant paired with Captain A. MacGregor, this
combination worked to good effect when forcing down out of control another Fokker over
Bourlon Wood on the 4th September, and bagging another brace of enemy aircraft destroyed
the following day, west of Marcoing and west of Avesnes-le-Sec; despite the early success of the
day Grant and MacGregor were forced down themselves by the machine guns of a Fokker DVII;
MacGregor managed to land the aircraft without serious injury; Grant carried on flying with the
squadron until his return to the UK at the end of October 1918; transferred to R.A.F. Reserve,
28.2.1919 (entitled to Victory Medal).
1291 Corporal John Grant, the son of Simon and Agnes Grant, of Sandbank, Argyll; served
during the Great with the 1st/8th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in the French
Theatre of War and was killed in action, 13.11.1916; on the latter date the battalion were in
action on the Somme and attacked Beaumont-Hamel, ‘with 1/5th Seaforth led 152nd Brigade’s
assault - advancing north of Auchonvillers-Beaumont Road sustained heavy casualties from
machine gun fire before first objective was taken - deep mud then hindered advance on to second
line - all objectives taken and held. Casualties - 266. Relieved and to Mailly-Maillet Wood.’
(British Battalions on the Somme, R. Westlake refers); Grant is buried in Mailly Wood Cemetery.
453
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Civil Division,
Commander’s (C.B.E.), neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, nearly extremely fine
£180-220
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