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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 134

The highly emotive Great War M.C., D.F.C. group of five awarded to Captain L. M. Woodhouse, Royal Flying Corps, late Essex Yeomanry

He had been forced to write to his father with the excruciating news that his younger brother 'Mole' had been killed attempting to come to his aid in an aerial combat in August 1917; the elder Woodhouse was then himself shot down and killed in action a year later

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse engraved ‘Awarded 3rd July 1917 1st Battle of Somme. Lieut. Lionel Mostyn Woodhouse, R.F.C., 52nd Squadron’; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., the reverse engraved ‘Awarded 17th Sept. 1918. Capt. Lionel Mostyn Woodhouse M.C., R.A.F.’; British War and Victory Medals (Capt. L. M. Woodhouse, R.A.F.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Lionel Mostyn Woodhouse); Great War Memorial Scroll in the name of ‘Capt. Lionel Mostyne Woodhouse, M.C., D.F.C. [red ink] 59th Sqdn. Royal Air Force [blue ink], good very fine (Lot)

Provenance:
Glendining's, March 1990.

M.C. London Gazette 25 August 1917. The original citation states:

'For good work. This Officer has done splendid work whilst observing for Artillery. He Observed for over 2,000 rounds during the month of May 1917, of which 121 were O.K.’s. Thirteen emplacements were destroyed, eighteen explosions and six fires were caused.'

D.F.C. London Gazette 2 November 1918. The original citation states:

'For skill and gallantry. On the 22nd August 1918, this Officer carried out a Special Contact Patrol from a height of from 200 feet to 400 feet. He was throughout subjected to very heavy fire from the ground and his machine was badly shot about. He showed great daring during a heavy counter attack on Logeast Wood and flying at a height of 100 feet he shot up the advancing troops and rendered great assistance in bringing this attack to a standstill and causing very high casualties. He then continued his patrol along the whole Corps front. Throughout the recent operations he has set a very good example of courage and devotion to duty to the whole Squadron.'

Lionel Mostyn Woodhouse - or Lio to his friends and comrades - was born at Brooklands, Broomfield, Essex on 10 December 1896. Educated at St. Peter’s Court, Broadstairs and Eton College from 1909-14, he joined Eton O.T.C. as a Private. Whilst at Eton, Woodhouse was in R. S. de Havilland's House, playing in the Cricket XI in 1914.

With the outbreak of the Great War, he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the 2/1st Essex Yeomanry 1 July 1915 and was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1916. He served in No. 52 Squadron from October 1916 with R.E.8’s then B.E.2e’s and then back to R.E.8’s on 15 June 1917, returned to Home Establishment on 15 August soon after his brother’s loss six days earlier.

The loss of his brother was a hugely emotional event and one which was a huge blow to the entire family. Christopher Courtney wrote on 14 August 1917:

'Dear Arthur,

I feel I must write to you and give my most sincere and heartfelt sympathy in the loss of your boy. I was terribly shocked to hear of it, but it was some small consolation to know that he went out gallantly fighting.

I wonder if your eldest son has told you that he was killed in an endeavour to protect his brother's machine from attack?

He probably did not know it but there was an artillery machine being attacked and so he at once dived in order to chase off the enemy; unfortunately he was caught by several enemy scouts and shot down but he certainly succeeded in drawing them off the artillery machine in which, it afterwards turned out, was his brother.

I think it was a most gallant death. I went to his funeral, a simple and straightforward one; he is buried under the shadow of the sand-dunes in a quiet and secluded spot.

I feel very guilty in not having answered your letter; I am afraid I am a bad correspondent at the best of times; but I had had it in mind for some days to write and tell you that he was in a good squadron and getting on well; his Squadron Commander spoke most highly of him.'

Promoted Captain on 16 September 1917, Woodhouse Instructed for a year then on 12 August 1918 he returned to No. 59 Squadron, taking command of ‘B’ Flight on R.E.8’s. On 29 August with his Observer they shot down an enemy Scout. On 1 September they were hit by A.A. but with the Observer, Lieutenant Peel holding his Lewis gun at arms length leaning over the side, managed to help steady the R.E.8 for Woodhouse to get safely back. Peel and Woodhouse’s luck ran out on 27 September 1918 when they were shot down and both lost their lives.

Sold together with original letter from his brother 'Jack' on winning the D.F.C., his cloth RFC 'Wings', besides original photographs and a remarkable archive of copied letters, these of a highly emotive and unpublished nature.



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Estimate
£7,000 to £9,000

Starting price
£5500