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Auction: 23113 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 488

A poignant Great War pair awarded to Captain (Flight Commander) S. R. Penrose-Welsted, D.F.C., No. 17 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, late Royal Irish Regiment, who was wounded on Gallipoli before going skyward

Shot down and killed on 17 July 1918 over the enemy lines on Salonika, his image and that of his Observer was captured in a striking photograph before his burial

Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Samuel Richard Penrose-Welsted), in its card envelope of issue; France, Republic, Croix de Guerre, with Palme upon riband, the reverse officially dated '1914-1918', in its box of issue, good very fine (2)

[D.F.C.] London Gazette 3 June 1918.

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 21 September 1918.

Samuel Richard Penrose-Welsted was born in 1887 at Ballywater, Castletownrock, County Cork and was educated at Rossall and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Whilst at Sandhurst he took the Prize for Military Administration and was thence commissioned into the Royal Irish Regiment, with whom he served in India.

Upon the outbreak of the Great War he was attached to the 5th Battalion and landed with them on Gallipoli, being severely wounded whilst there. Transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, he joined No. 17 Squadron in November 1916. Whilst a Flight Commander, he was killed in action over the enemy lines in Salonika on 17 July 1918, when shot down by anti-aircraft fire. A striking image was captured on the day of his death of two allied airmen that had been downed in their Armstrong Whitworth AK8 being paid their last respects. It seems the perished individual on the left was Penrose-Welsted. He is commemorated upon the Doiran Memorial and at St Mary's Church, Castletownroche.

It is understood his D.F.C. and campaign Medals were donated to the Squadron after the Great War, with his family retaining the Plaque and his French decoration.

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Sold for
£350

Starting price
£180