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Auction: 22101 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 250

Pair: Captain T. A. Oliver, Royal Flying Corps, a Royal Flying Corps ace who was himself killed in action on 14 August 1917 by Oberleutnant Wiegand of Jasta 10

British War and Victory Medals (Capt. T. A. Oliver), edge bruise, very fine (2)

Thomas Alfred Oliver was born at Loughborough on 10 April 1893, son of Alfred and Annie Oliver of Capel Curig, Caernarvonshre. Oliver's father was an artist who had exhibited works at the Royal Academy and his son showed every sign of following suit, soon becoming an artist in residence at the family studio in Capel Curig. However with the outbreak of the Great War he joined the 1/6th (Caernarvonshire and Anglesey) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers with the rank of Private and the service number 1480 on 25 August 1914. Serving in this role for three months he applied for a commission with the Royal Flying Corps, being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 30 November 1914. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps on 17 October 1915, being awarded his Aero Club Card, number 1921, on 17 November 1915 at Shoreham Military School. He graduated in December 1915 and was posted to No.1 Squadron in France early in 1916.

Here he fought his first engagement on 20 March 1916, over the floatplane base at Zeebrugge in a Morane LA (5119) against an Aviatik over Cassel-Poperinghe. A clash Houthulst Wood on 3 July 1916 gave him his second kill, with the last of the year occurring over Kemmel on 6 August in which he emptied five drums of ammunition during the fight. After a break in combat in January 1917 Oliver returned to the front; he was posted to No. 29 Squadron on 10 August 1917 and the next day shot down two opponents - one over Roulers and another over Polinchove. Ordered to fly a patrol on 14 August he was shot down by Oberleutnant Weigand of Jasta 10, himself believed to be one of the victims of British ace James McCudden. Oliver has no known grave but is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial; sold together with copied service papers, extracts from an article relating to the recipient and Commonwealth War Graves details along with a copied M.I.C.

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Sold for
£2,100

Starting price
£900