Orders, Decorations and Medals

A scarce Second World War O.B.E., Great War D.F.C. group of six awarded to Wing Commander O. C. Cassels, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.A.F.); Defence and War Medals, the earlier awards polished, nearly very fine, the remainder very fine and better (6) £2000-2500

O.B.E. London Gazette 8 June 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘This officer has been Chief Instructor of the Senior Course of the Royal Air Force School of Administration for 27 months. During this time, 49 courses have passed through the school. Wing Commander Cassel’s exceptional ability as Chief Instructor, combined with his hard work, enthusiasm and leadership, have been the inspiration of instructors and students alike.’

D.F.C. London Gazette 3 December 1918. The original recommendation states:

‘For gallantry and skill. On 12 August 1918, he carried out a very successful shoot with 266 S.B., causing several fires in the battery position, and also exploding an ammunition dump. This shoot was carried out under very adverse weather conditions. On 21 August 1918, this officer carried out a most successful artillery patrol lasting three and a half hours, during which he observed 13 active hostile batteries, three of which he silenced. As an artillery pilot this officer’s work has been quite exceptional, particularly during the offensive, and he has had a number of combats with enemy aircraft whilst carrying out his patrols. He has always shown courage, devotion to duty and reliability of a very high order.’

Oliver Chance Cassels, a native of Ottery St. Mary, Devon, was born in July 1898 and was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917, while attending No. 1 School of Aviation. Appointed a Flying Officer that December, he was posted to No. 12 Squadron, an R.E. 8 unit, out in France, in January 1918, and between then and his return to the U.K. in October, regularly flew artillery observation and photographic patrols. But, as referred to in the recommendation for his D.F.C., he had a number of combats with enemy aircraft during the course of these patrols, a case in point being the 25 March 1918, when, in company with his observer, Lieutenant H. H. Harman, he was engaged by four Albatross Scouts:

‘At 10.20 a.m. we decided to cross the line to procure photographs of the C.B. Area before the clouds completely obscured vision. When approximately over N9, four Albatross Scouts passed about 1,000 feet beneath us and turned and commenced to climb under our tail, at the same time opening fire. The Observer opened fire on the nearest machine and tracers were seen to hit the machine. After about 50 rounds had been fired, a suspicious cloud of smoke was seen to burst from the front of the enemy plane. For the next few seconds all four enemy machines were obscured under the Observer’s blind spot but when seen again only three machines were observed, disappearing Eastwards, going down into the clouds’ (Cassels’ combat report refers).

Transferred to the Unemployed List in February 1919, he was recalled on the renewal of hostilities in 1939, and was awarded his O.B.E. in respect of the above cited services at R.A.F. Stannington. Cassels was released in the rank of Wing Commander at the War’s end.