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Auction: 18002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 510

(x) A scarce Great War A.F.C. group of three awarded to Lieutenant F. W. Morter, Royal Air Force, late Royal Warwickshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps, who was a professional cricketer for Warwickshire in the early 1920's

Air Force Cross, G.V.R., the reverse contemporarily engraved ‘Lt. F. W. Morter, R. War. R. and R.A.F.’; British War and Victory Medals (Lt. F. W. Morter, R.F.C.), mounted as worn by Spink & Son, 5 King Street, London, good very fine (3)

A.F.C. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

Frank William Morter, who was born at Down, Kent in August 1897, was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment in March 1915, direct from his studies at Birmingham University. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in April 1916, he took his aviator’s certificate in a Maurice Farman Biplane in mid-June and, following postings to No. 47 and 55 Squadrons on the Home Establishment, joined No. 42 Squadron, flying B.E. 2s out in France, in October of the same year. Just three weeks later he was admitted to an Advanced Hospital and evacuated to the U.K. Cleared once more for flying duties, he was subsequently posted to the Wireless & Observers School in March 1917 and No. 1 Observers School of Aerial Gunnery in March 1918, in which latter capacity he most likely was awarded his A.F.C. Transferred to the Unemployed List in June 1919, he went on to continue his other passion of cricket. Having played three First Class matches for Warwickshire during 1922, he would remain on the Staff at Warwickshire for a number of years, becoming '...Captain and a well-known Birmingham League player' for Mosely. Morter was indeed lucky to survive a serious motor collision with serious injuries in 1924. So severe was the smash with a Birmingham tram, that it instantaneously killed two of his fellow passengers, themselves brothers of the actor Henry Baynton. Morter recovered to continue playing Gentleman's cricket for the Warwickshire Imps and died at Five Ways, Birmingham in December 1958; sold with copied service record and research.

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Sold for
£1,800