Wing Commander Arthur Bruce Gaskell. DSC (1888-1927) A DSC g...

Estimate

£1,000 - £1,500

Wing Commander Arthur Bruce Gaskell. DSC (1888-1927) A DSC group of four medals. Comprising a George V DSC maker Garrard & Co London 1918 in box of issue, 1914-15 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal with postage box plus a collection of various RAF cloth badges and cap badges etc. Arthur Bruce Gaskell (1888-1927) born in Hastings passed out of the Royal Naval College Britannia in July 1904 and was posted to a number of vessels until May 1913 when he attended the Central Flying School and obtained his Aero Club Certificate in June of that year, in 1914 he was posted back to the school as an Assistant Instructor. From the 8th January 1915 he was posted to the Naval Flying School at Eastchurch from which he took part in several daring raids on targets at Ostend, Zeebrugge and Bruges being commended by the Royal Navy for his actions. Gaskell was promoted to Squad Commander 1st January 1916 and was transferred to Thermi-Mytilini on the Aegean island of Lesbos, from there he led a number of raids against enemy shipping and also flew anti submarine missions. It was at Thermi that he would be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In October 1917 the air base came under significant enemy bombardment for several days and Gaskell was ordered to evacuate the airfield. He did so under near constant shelling without losing any men or supplies.The award was announced in the London Gazette April 26th 1918, the citation reading ''Sqdn. Cdr. Arthur Bruce Gaskell, R.N.A.S. In recognition of his services on the occasion of the evacuation of the Thermi aerodrome on the 9th to 15th October, 1917, under continuous bombardment by the enemy.'' Gaskell was involved in the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 and would be posted to training operations. He was killed during a training flight in 1927.