Orders, Decorations and Medals

British War Medal 1914-20 (F.8846 N. Ashwell, A.M.1, R.N.A.S.) extremely fine £30-50

Walter Ashwell was born in Purfleet, Essex on 22 February 1892. An Engine and Crane Driver by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service on 26 October 1915. He served at President II, October 1915-January 1917, rated as an Air Mechanic 1st Class and ‘Driver’ and was then based at Howden, from January 1917 and serving as a Crewman of the airship C20, August 1916-September 1917; his trade classification was given as ‘Hydrogen Worker’ from December 1918. Ashwell served at Purfleet from March 1919 and was deemed to have transferred to the R.A.F. Reserve on 30 April 1920.

The C20 was a coastal class airship, built at Kingsnorth. After trials during September 1916 it was posted to East Fortune, Scotland and made the first experimental airship flight with the Battlecruiser Squadron on 30 September 1916. Exercised with the Grand Fleet, 16 September 1917. Made a forced landing at sea and was rammed by H.M.S. Criana and then sunk by gunfire, 22 December 1917.

With copied service papers and copied copied pictures and research re. the C20.