Campaign Groups and Pairs

Four: Wing Commander R. G. Frith, Auxiliary Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force a Camel pilot in 45 Squadron who was shot down and taken Prisoner of War in November 1917 - a short but gallant combat career described in detail in an article in the Cross & Cockade Journal British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. R. G. Frith. R.A.F.); Defence Medal; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Wg. Cdr. R. G. Frith. A.A.F.) good very fine (4) £400-£500 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2012 (when sold without the Defence Medal). Roy Godfrey Frith was educated at Whitgift Grammar School and served in the ranks of the South African Scottish for a few months prior to being commissioned Second Lieutenant, General List, for duty in the Royal Flying Corps in May 1917. Having then qualified for his pilot’s certificate, he was posted to No. 45 Squadron, a Camel unit operating out of St. Marie Cappel, near Cassel, in mid-October 1917, under Major A. M. Vaucour, M.C. He subsequently participated in numerous sorties prior to being downed in the following month, the whole in support of the recently launched Passchendaele offensive, as described in detail in James Brown’s article “Fleeting Fighter” in the Cross & Cockade Journal (Volume 10, No. 3, 1979). Frith’s first encounter with enemy Scouts during a patrol flown on 18 October, when dogfights were played out over Moorslede and Becelaere, quickly followed by another combat on the 21 October, with about 20 enemy Scouts near Houthulst, and, on the 22nd, a successful ground-strafing operation against enemy troops and transport, each of the Squadron’s Camels expending around 850 rounds. On 27 October, Frith participated in no less than three operational patrols, all of which produced close encounters and combats with enemy aircraft, with both sides taking losses; so, too, in an attack on an enemy ammunition dump, which was left burning furiously. On 29 October, he was back in action in a dogfight with 16 enemy Scouts and two-seaters over Moorslede, while on 30 October he fought an inconclusive combat with a two-seater in the vicinity of Westroosebeke. A few days later, on 5 November, Frith’s luck ran out, and he was shot down and taken Prisoner of War while piloting Sopwith Camel B5175 on an observation patrol over Moorslede, most probably by Leutnant Paul “The Iron Eagle” Baumer of Jasta 2, who ended the War as a 43-victory ace and recipient of the Blue Max. Frith survived captivity and was placed on the Unemployed List in February 1919. He subsequently joining the Auxiliary Air Force, and was advanced to Flight Lieutenant in July 1938, while serving in No. 903 (County of London) Squadron, a Balloon Section of the A.A.F., and to Squadron Leader in August 1939. Mentioned in Despatches for his services in a Balloon Section during the War (London Gazette 8 June 1944), he was advanced to Wing Commander, and received the Air Efficiency Award in May 1947.