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Auction: 18003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 233

The Victory Medal awarded to Lieutenant W. Spencer, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in action in May 1918, while serving as an Observer in No. 27 Squadron

Victory Medal 1914-1919 (Lieut. W. Spencer. R.A.F.), very fine

William Spencer was born at Hollinwood, Oldham, Lancashire on 30 January 1899, the son of William and Sarah Jane Spencer; his father ran an iron founding and machine-making business which, according to the 1911 census, employed three of his elder brothers.

William was educated at Elmfield College and, likely soon after his 18th birthday, was assigned to the 6th Training Reserve Brigade as a Cadet; on 1 August 1917 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and began training at Winchester and Oxford. Duly qualified as an Observer, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, and was posted to No. 27 Squadron in France.

On 12 March 1918, on returning in a D.H. 4 from bombing Bavay Railway Station, his aircraft overturned on landing. He and his pilot emerged from the wreckage unscathed. On 10 April, during a reconnaissance flight in an Armstrong-Whitworth, the aircraft developed engine trouble and his pilot had to make a forced-landing in a field. Two days later, a similar event happened, both aviators once again emerging unscathed. On 12 April, whilst in another Armstrong-Whitworth near Gentelles, 2nd Lieutenants Schoeman and Spencer were brought down by an offensive patrol and crashed. The plane was unsalvageable, but once again both men walked away. On 3 May, Schoeman and Spencer crashed again, following a bombing raid: unable to flatten out for their landing, it was another narrow escape.

On 10 May 1918, Spencer's luck ran out. Whilst on a bombing raid near Peronne, his formation was attacked by 20-30 enemy aircraft; his D.H. 4 was seen to make a crash landing but Spencer was observed to already be dead. His pilot, Captain G. B. S. McBain, D.S.C., M.C., initially survived the crash landing and was taken prisoner of war but died shortly afterwards of his wounds. Their loss was claimed by Leutnant Viktor von Pressentin von Rautter, a Jasta 4 'ace' who was eventually credited with 15 victories before himself being killed in action on 31 May 1918.

Aged just 19, William Spencer is buried at Assevillers New British Cemetery on the Somme; sold with copied research.


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