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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 762

A poignant British War Medal and Memorial Plaque pair awarded to Lieutenant D. J. Honer, Royal Flying Corps, late Royal Field Artillery, who was shot down and killed by the famous 30 victory 'Ace' Karl Emil Schäfer, holder of the Pour le Mérite

British War Medal 1914-20 (Lieut. D. J. Honer.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Douglas James Honer), the Plaque with traces of glue to reverse, good very fine (2)

Douglas James Honer was born on 10 September 1893, at 18 Wyndham Square, Plymouth, the son of William Honer. Educated at St. Boniface's College, Plymouth, Douglas served as a Private in the 12th Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment from 19 September 1914, before being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 2/1st West Riding Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery, on 8 April 1915.

In November 1915, having seen home service since the outbreak of war, Honer was admitted to the 3rd Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, suffering from nervous exhaustion, possibly the result of being 'thrown' in riding school - he was given 3 weeks of leave. Declared fit in April 1916, Honer was attached to the Royal Flying Corps and trained as a Pilot. Rather than being thrown from a horse, on 2 March 1917 he came a cropper in charge of a motorcycle:

'I was proceeding from the aerodrome to the mess and riding a motor bicycle at the time. The handle bar locked and I crashed into a hedge. I was jammed in between the handlebars and the saddle and hurt my leg.'

On 4 June 1917, whilst piloting a D.H.4. of No. 55 Squadron detailed on a bombing raid to Ingelmunster, his machine was attacked by hostile aircraft and was seen to go down in a spin. Honer's aircraft had been 'jumped' and downed near Moorslede at 2.10 p.m. by Leutnant Karl Emil Schäfer, an experienced pilot of both the Western and Eastern Fronts and newly appointed commander of Jasta 28.

For the German, it would be his last victory - the next day he too was killed in action in a combat with No. 20 Squadron. His aeroplane broke apart in mid-air, the result of damage caused under the guns of Lieutenant Harold Satchell and Lieutenant Thomas Lewis.

Honer is commemorated upon the Arras Flying Services Memorial and the University of Sheffield Roll of Honour; sold with copied research and two R.F.A. and R.F.C. cap badges.


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Sold for
£520