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Auction: 22103 - Orders, Decorations and Medals VII - e-Auction
Lot: 189

The British War Medal awarded to Air Mechanic Class I E. R. Whyte, Royal Naval Air Service, an Australian who was killed in action by the German ace Oberleutnant Friedrich Christiansen aboard the Airship C27 over the Norfolk Coast

British War Medal 1914-20 (F.2824 E. R. Whyte. A.M.1. R.N.A.S.), minor contact wear, very fine

Ernest Rogers Whyte was born at Melbourne, Australia on 31 January 1890, the son of William and Helen Whyte. Working as an Applied Engineer he enlisted with the Royal Naval Air Service on 30 December 1914 and was posted to H.M.S. Pembroke III. Serving here until 31 March 1915 before transferring to H.M.S. President (Pulham). Here he formed part of the crew of C27 a coastal airship responsible for patrolling the coastlines and targeting German submarines and other commerce raiders.

C27 was on patrol on 11 December 1917 over the coast of Norfolk, in regular wireless contact with Pulham they suddenly ceased communications at 09:40. They had drifted too far to the east and came into contact with a flight of German seaplanes led by Oberleutnant Friedrich Christiansen. Despite C27's machine gun being manned she was unable to evade or properly fight the German aircraft and was shot down, with one of the enemy spotters even taking a photograph of her final moments. C27's disappearance was so absolute that another airship C26 was sent to look for her, this airship ran out of fuel and was blown down over Holland where the crew were interned.

Whyte received a posthumous 'mention' on 1 May 1918 and is remembered upon the Chatham Naval Memorial. Christiansen went on to gain 21 credited kills, though with several more unconfirmed 'possibles' and during the Second World War became Wehrmachtbefehlshaber responsible for Holland. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for crimes committed against the Dutch people but was released in 1951; sold together with copied research including service records, London Gazette entry and Commonwealth War Graves details as well as census data and extracts from Sky Sailors, Fringes of the Fleet and the D.S.C. and Coastal Patrol Airships parts 1 & 2 along with information on Friedrich Christiansen and handwritten research,

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Sold for
£80

Starting price
£30