Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 135

'My dear dear Dad,

I am writing to you not Mum, so that you may break it more gently to her. Poor little Mole is dead. Oh it is too awful just Nick and then my favourite brother. I saw the whole thing at the time & had a terrible feeling that it was one of our machines and not a Hun and that if that was the case it would be him. He died protecting me.

They went over to attack these Huns as they came up to the line and fought for about five minutes and then one machine broke away on fire. It was the most glorious fight for life ever put up. All who saw it say the same thing, what a wonderful Pilot he must have been.

He was seen to be his by his Flight Commander before the fire started and then with the machine under control brought to down from 7,000ft to 100ft in a series of side slips so keeping the flames off himself, when it then broke up.

I can't give you any hope and I think perhaps it was better for him to have been killed at the finish. I have kept nothing from you and I will leave it to you to say what you feel best to Mum.

He was wonderful and loved by all. It nearly kills me to write this, but we must all try and bear up.

Your broken hearted son, Lio.'

Captain Woodhouse writes home to his father on the death of his brother, Lieutenant M. G. 'Mole' Woodhouse

The campaign group of three awarded to Flight Sub-Lieutenant M. G. Woodhouse, Royal Naval Air Service, who was tragically killed in action on 9 August 1917, by 37-kill Ace Leutnant Julius Buckler of Jasta 17; he had gone in to combat in order that he might save his elder brother who was also in the same aerial combat

British War and Victory Medals (Flt. S. Lt., M. G. Woodhouse, R.N.A.S.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Mosley Gordon Woodhouse); Great War Memorial Scroll in the name of ‘Flight Sub-Lt. Mosley Gordon Woodhouse, R.N.', the V.M. with officially re-impressed naming, good very fine (3)

Provenance:
Glendining's, March 1990.

Mosley Gordon Woodhouse - or Mole/Moley to his friends and comrades - was born on 26 October 1898. The family at that time lived at ‘Tofts’, Little Baddow, Essex.

Having joined the Royal Naval Air Service as a Probationary Flying Officer at Dover 5 November 1916, he was slightly injured on 2 March 1917 when in a forced landing after engine failure on Avro 504 at R.N.A.S. Redcar. Posted to No. 3 (Naval) Squadron flying Sopwith Pups, he was advanced Flight Sub-Lieutenant on 10 June 1917 and crashed on 20 June 1917. Woodhouse joined No. 12 Squadron on 25 June 1917 at Dunkirk and sent to the front with No. 9 Squadron on 30 June 1917, equipped with Sopwith Pups, and Triplanes but by 12 July were exchanged for Sopwith Camels. On 9 August, while out on Patrol with Flight Commander Simpson and Flight Sub-Lieutenant Mellersh, took part in a fight with Albatros Scouts which were attacking an R.E.8., which turned out to be Piloted by his brother. His machine was shot down in flames by Vzfw. J. Buckler of Jasta 17, as his 12 'kill' of an eventual 35.

Christopher Courtney wrote to his father 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.'

Sold together with the original - highly poignant - letter from Lio Woodhouse to his father, on the loss of 'Mole', besides forwarding letter for his campaign Medals, besides photographs and a quantity of copied research, including his Flying Log Book.


Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£1,800 to £2,200

Starting price
£1500