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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 395

A very fine Great War Ace's M.C. and Croix de Guerre group of four awarded to Lieutenant A. F. Britton, No. 57 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, late Surrey Yeomanry and Somerset Light Infantry; a veteran of the Western Front, he was commissioned and thence went skyward, notching up six kills as an Observer in a little over three weeks of combat, achieving 'Ace' status in a magnificent aerial action which downed three enemy aircraft on the evening of 27 July 1917; Britton would sadly be wounded twice - suffering the amputation of his leg as a result of the second - before losing his life to influenza in February 1919

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. A. F. Britton. R.F.C.); France, Republic, Croix de Guerre, with Star upon riband, good very fine (4)

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1918, the recommendation states:

'From July 17th 1917 until August 28th 1917, on which date he was seriously wounded, his Officer carried out exceptionally valuable work in the taking of aeroplane photographs and on reconnaissances far behind the enemy's lines. He has taken part in numerous combats in the air, and has destroyed three hostile machines. His courage has always been beyond praise.'

The Recommendation file, dated 16 September 1917, states:

'A particularly good Observer in all branches of his duties. In one month he was engaged in a number of combats and himself shot down three enemy machines.'

Croix de Guerre London Gazette 18 June 1918.

Arthur Frederick Britton was born at Balham on 2 October 1888, the eldest of twelve children of Frederick, a jeweller, and Ellen. His father had already sired no less than seven children with his first wife, Lucy, before being widowed in 1885. He did not follow his father into the jewellery trade and was a commercial clerk for a flour mill by 1911.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War, Britton enlisted in the Surrey Yeomanry and served on the Western Front with 'B' Squadron from 22 December 1914 (1914-15 Star) and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry on 27 November 1915. He thence joined the Machine Gun Corps in March 1916 and joined the Royal Flying Corps on 14 May 1917, being promoted Lieutenant on 14 June 1917.

Joining No. 57 Squadron on the Western Front on 26 June 1917, Britton operated on the D.H.4. and was crewed up with Lieutenant (later Captain) Minot. Just two days later he went on his first Op, a practice reconnaissance. In the coming days the pairing would get off to a good start, successfully capturing vital images over Zonnebeke on 2 & 3 July 1917. On that second Op, they entered into combat with the enemy just after midday and came out on top, with two 'kills' to their name. Perhaps their highest profile victim was Leutnant Albert Dossenbach, the commander of Jasta 10 and holder of the Pour le Merite (the 'Blue Max'). He was seen to have been set on fire and departed his aircraft mid-air whilst it was tumbling to the earth.

On 6 July the pair bombed Inglemunster and the following day added to their score near Ypres, when at 0830hrs they first engaged five aircraft and one was sent down, before soonafter engaging a further swarm of ten aircraft, managing to drive them away without a decisive result however. The pair were now getting into their stride and continued to put in vital work for their Squadron.

Their finest hour would perhaps come on 27 July, at 1730hrs over Houthulst, when they sent three enemy aircraft to earth within a few minutes, both gaining 'Ace' status in the process. On this Op he was also wounded for the first time, suffering a gunshot wound to the calf, which sent him to hospital. The citation for Minot's M.C. gives further detail:

'When leading a formation of five bombing machines, he attacked a hostile formation of twenty machines, and in the ensuing fight himself drove down two enemy machines completely out of control, whilst his Observer destroyed another. Another four of the enemy formation were driven down completely out of control, and, as a result of his gallant leadership and determined action, his formation succeeded in getting back with the loss of but one machine. On a previous occasion he, in company with two other machines, attacked four of enemy who were reinforced later by thirteen scouts, and, after heavy fighting, drove down one enemy machine out of control, his formation returning safely.'

It would be their final flight together and perhaps a stroke of luck for Britton, for Minot would be shot down and killed the following day, just a week after his 21st birthday.

When Britton had sufficiently recovered from his wound, he was paired with Lieutenant David Sydney Hall and flew on 10 Ops from 8-20 August 1917. On 18 August they were hit by anti-aircraft fire and force-landed near Droglandt, their aircraft being wrecked, but remarkably both crew escaped unhurt. Just two days later their last Op saw the pair with a flight of six aircraft bombing a dump at Ledeghem, when their aircraft was struck by French anti-aircraft fire whilst between Pilcken and Ypres at 18,500ft. Britton was gravely wounded in the left knee and subsequently faced the amputation of his left leg, which unsurprisingly left him permanently unfit to fly again. His two awards which followed soonafter appear to be the only such combination to the Squadron for the Great War.

He was given six months leave and subsequently applied for work at Lady Caernarvon's Hospital at 48 Bryanston Square, London, in an attempt to use his civilian skills. It worked, for he was afterwards posted to the Training Depot HQ and also Dover on secretarial duties. Nonetheless, he resigned his commission in September 1918 on account of his wounds, being granted the Honorary rank of Lieutenant and a pension of £100 per year. He was sadly not able to draw that hard-earned pension, since having gone to live at 46 Norfolk House Road, Streatham, he died of influenza on 19 February 1919, aged just 30. His father claimed his Medals; sold together with a good file of copied research which includes images of the recipient.

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Sold for
£2,100

Starting price
£950

Sale 23001 Notices
'Britton wounded by a stray bullet from a French SPAD whilst on a Special Photographic Op when downed on his list Sortie, as confirmed by the ORB.'