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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 531

An outstanding and very rare immediate 'Sergeant Pilot's' D.C.M. awarded to Sergeant R. C. Taylor, No. 13 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, for his skill whilst on a hair-raising Op when attacked by six enemy Scouts, Taylor enabled his Observer to down one and send another out of control; he would be tragically posted missing in action - later confirmed as being killed - just months later on 20 November 1917

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (4400 Sjt: R. C. Taylor. 13/Sq: R.F.C.), nearly extremely fine

One of only 92 Distinguished Conduct Medals awarded to members of the Royal Flying Corps. Of these awards approximately one third were awarded for aerial combat, whilst only around 10 awards were made to Sergeant Pilots.

D.C.M. London Gazette 22 October 1917:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When sent out with an Observer to take important photographs he saw six hostile Scouts approaching him.

Realising that there would be no further chance of doing the work as clouds were coming up he continued taking the photographs until the hostile Scouts cae within fifty yards' range, although his machine was the only British one in the vicinity. He then turned on them, and by skilful manoeuvring enabled his Observer to crash one. Another was then attacked and driven down in a spin, after the remaining four retired, and he completed the photographs. He has always shown the greatest determination and gallantry.'

Robert Charles Taylor, a native of Willesden, London, was born on 5 April 1896 and joined the Royal Flying Corps on 26 March 1915, a fitter and turner by trade. Taylor would go through training and hold perhaps the most unusual rank in the Royal Flying Corps, that of the Sergeant Pilot. Even in the Great War, it was highly unusual for anybody to command anything in any arm of the services, yet the fact that the Royal Flying Corps offered such a rank was quite unique. This gallant band of Sergeant Pilots was a small one, indeed in September 1915 the BEF had only two of them, whilst by February 1916 the number had swelled to just over 30. The ratio tended to be 1:35 for Sergeant Pilots. Consideration should also be made to the fact that these Pilots were vastly less informed than their commissioned cousins, not being offered the same information on intelligence on the aims of their Ops or the same training in the arts of meteorology, a cornerstone of the art of aviation. Indeed the Bailhache Committee noted in November 1916 that:

'Every Pilot must now be an Officer. There are a few exceptions.'

Taylor was to be one of this band, taking Aero Certificate No. 5430 on 26 April 1917 and would have been counted as one of just 32 Sergeant Pilots at the Front in the summer of 1917. Taylor joined No. 13 Squadron at the Front in July 1917 and soon got to work. His Combat Report for 3 September 1917, with Lieutenant F. D. Steel as Observer:

'About 0910am when on Photography, seven hostile mahcine attack us while over OB16. Six of these diven on our tail in V formation. The nearest hostile machine commenced firing at a distance of about 25 yards. Observer opened fire on this machine and saw his tracer bullers hit the Pilot whose machine immediately rolled over and over, and when down out of contro and was wrecked.

The Observer immediately opened fire on the next nearest machine and after five bursts of fire the hostile machine commenced to spin and was seen to fall from 5000ft, an disappeared into clouds still spinning and was not seen again. Observer then cleared a stoppage in his gun and opened fire on the next machine with the third drum. By this time our machine had descended to the height of 2000ft over the British Lines when the remaining hostile machine turned back. Our machine being hit through the right hand rear strut, right hand aileron strut, right hand top plane and tail plane, we returned to landing ground.'

Heart-racing stuff indeed. Taylor was posted mission in action over Cambrai on 20 November 1917 but was not confirmed as having been killed in action until 13 August 1918. He is commemorated upon the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

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Sold for
£5,800

Starting price
£4000