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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 115

A scarce aviation pioneer's group of three to Captain R. M. Pike, Royal Flying Corps, who was trialled with assessing the Airco DH2 aircraft but was shot down on 9 August 1915 and killed in the crash landing

1914-15 Star (Capt. R. M. Pike. R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. M. Pike.), extremely fine (3)

Robert Maxwell Pike was born at Kilnock House, Carlow, Ireland on 30 August 1886, the second son of Robert Lecky Pike and his wife Catherine Henrietta Howard. Both he and his brother Ebenezer were educated at Harrow School and his brother joined the Grenadier Guards while Robert joined the Royal Navy at Portsmouth in August 1902. He was commissioned Midshipman in March 1903 and joined the crew of the cruiser Good Hope, however, despite being considered a promising officer he was declared medically unfit in December 1905 due to the onset of synovitis. The following month the condition was diagnosed as tuberculosis of the knee and throughout 1906 Pike was absent from duty, spending time under hospital care.

He was surveyed by naval medical personnel in December 1906 and was found to be unfit to resume duties and was admitted to Osborne convalescent home. In February 1907, a further review resulted in Pike being invalided out of the Royal Navy, but he was allowed to remain at Osborne until he was able to travel. The outcome from the medical condition that cut short Pike's naval career, was the removal of a knee joint, a procedure that left him with a straight leg for life.

Pike returned to Ireland and during his time back there developed an interest in aviation and was probably involved with the work of his cousin John Rupert Lecky, who circa 1911-12 set about building a biplane along the lines of the Wright Flyer, which he attempted to fly and subsequently crash-landed in the field next to Ballykealey House. It was the first known attempt to fly a Wright Flyer plane in Ireland.

When Britain entered the First World War in August 1914, Pike volunteered for service and was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps. He trained at Brooklands, Surrey, taking Aero Certificate No. 905 on 21 September 1914 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1 October 1914, initially based at Dartford, Kent. He was sent to France in April 1915 and joined the 5th Squadron based at St. Omer for the purpose of carrying out an observation role for the Royal Artillery. Pike was promoted to Lieutenant on 14 May 1915 and then to Temporary Captain (Flight Commander) on 18 May 1915. He was recalled to England in June 1915 with orders from the War Office to carry out a service evaluation of the DH2 prototype. He spent two days at Hendon Aerodrome in north London, observing, examining and flying the prototype and compiled a comprehensive and generally favourable report, listing a number of shortcomings and suggesting modifications that would improve the DH2's efficiency. In the report to his commanding officer, written 'in the field' after he returned to his posting in France, he made clear his enthusiasm for the new plane when he wrote:
'She will be of enormous value out here. With practice, one should be able to use the gun effectively and the range of fire is very large, and the vision greater than any other machine I have flown. The alterations are to take about a fortnight and the machine will be ready to take to the Front, should approval be obtained.'

In conclusion he noted:

'I have not seen a German machine which can equal this Scout for speed and climbing power.'

Given that it was the one and only prototype then in existence, permission was granted and the DH2 was delivered to Flanders at the end of July. Pike effectively took charge of the aircraft with responsibility for its active service evaluation but his plans to try out the plane in the eye of the conflict would never be fully realised. The Airco DH2 proved to be more than a match for the Fokker Eindecker monoplane being used by the Germans.

On the morning of 9 August 1915, Pike took to the skies on a scouting mission in the vicinity of Ypres in Belgium. He was flying at a height of 10,000 feet when he encountered a German Albatros two seater reconnaissance light bomber which was piloted by Abteilungsfuhrer Alfred Ritscher with his air gunner Lt Heinrich Mass of the German Navy and a dogfight ensued. It appeared that he had driven off the enemy plane but the incident ended in disaster when the single German bullet to hit the DH2 also inflicted a fatal head wound.

Pike, now behind enemy lines, somehow managed to land the plane. The airplane somersaulted in the rough and he died almost instantly. He was buried in a local cemetery in the town of Hooges and is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial; sold with a Farming Society of Ireland Life Member's pass (Robt Lecky Esqr Member for Life).

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Sold for
£850

Starting price
£800