Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War D.F.C. group of three awarded to Major H. A. Coysh, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, who served as an Observer in No. 15 Squadron in 1918

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued, in its John Pinches, London case of issue; British War and Victory Medals (Major H. A. Coysh), these last two official late claims from 1940, very fine and better (3) £1800-2200

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

‘Throughout the operations, this officer has done consistent good work as an Observer on contact and counter-attack patrols. In conjunction with his pilot, he carried out very successful contact patrols on four successive days (21-24 August 1918), bringing back very valuable information despite heavy machine-gun fire.

On 23 August 1918, when over Grandcourt, his machine was very heavily engaged by fire from the ground, but he located the enemy infantry in trenches and engaged them causing casualties and silencing the ground fire.

On 24 August 1918, he attacked enemy infantry in the neighbourhood of Pozieres from a height of 100 feet, causing many casualties.

On 2 September 1918, he engaged a concentration of troops at Le Transloy, causing a large number of casualties and great confusion.

He has taken every opportunity of locating and successfully engaging A.A. machine-guns, thereby greatly facilitating the work of his pilot in getting accurate information as to the location of our troops. His work has at all times been marked by gallantry and resourcefulness worthy of the highest praise.’

Harold Arthur Coysh was born in Brentford, Middlesex, in September 1897 and was a dental student until gaining appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery in November 1916. Subsequently employed in Siege Batteries, he twice served in the acting rank of Major, namely in May-June 1917 and in October of the same year, prior to transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. Having then qualified as an Observer, he was posted to No. 15 Squadron out in France in the summer of 1918.

Of the actions at Le Transloy on 2-3 September 1918, as referred to in the recommendation for his D.F.C., a more detailed report survives in official records:

‘On the 2nd instant, Captain Alfred Cross and Lieutenant Harold Coysh assisted the above named officers in driving out the enemy with machine-gun fire from the village of Le Transloy. Being engaged on contact patrol work they dropped a message to a 60-pounder battery, calling for fire on the enemy party as they retreated. These officers took every opportunity of silencing enemy M.G. fire from the air. Their reports are consistently reliable and valuable, and their work carried out with disregard of personal risk, in all cases their machine returning damaged by enemy A.A. or M.G. fire. On the evening of the 3rd instant, when troops on the ground were out of contact with the enemy, they carried out a reconnaissance at 500 feet, locating their position, in addition to the position of our advanced troops, dropping the information at Corps H.Q. In spite of their machine being hit again by enemy M.G. fire, they dived down and silenced it.’

In addition to which Coysh, with Major H. V. Stammers as his pilot, fought a combat over Heaudecourt on 7 September 1918, their relevant report stating:

‘Whilst doing a contact patrol over Heaudecourt at about 400 feet, our machine encountered an enemy aircraft apparently doing the same, at the same height. Range was about 75 to 100 yards, but our front gun would not fire. We flew on a parallel course with the enemy aircraft which fired about 60 to 80 rounds from the Observer’s gun, his gun then appearing to jam. Lieutenant Coysh, meanwhile, engaged with the rear gun and fired about 150 rounds. The enemy aircraft turned back and we followed along the Fins-Gouzecourt road. 100 rounds were then fired at it from the front gun at about 200 yards range but the enemy aircraft outdistanced our machine. We then climbed to 1500 feet to attack down sun, but the enemy aircraft saw our machine and flew away to the East. The enemy aircraft did not land but was not seen to return to the line. An Albatros D.5 which had been flying at about 1500 feet above the enemy aircraft did not attempt to fight.’

As stated in official records, ‘almost invariably his machine has come back very badly damaged by M.G. fire’, although on the 9 September 1918 he didn’t make it back to base, for his aircraft’s petrol tank was ripped up causing a forced landing about 500 yards behind the front line at Dessart Wood.’

Coysh was awarded the D.F.C., which insignia he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture held in February 1920. Returning to his chosen pre-war profession, he qualified as a Dental Surgeon, practising at Chiswick, in addition to becoming a professional golfer for Wyke Green, and he appears to have applied for a commission in the R.A.F.V.R. in October 1940, about the time he finally claimed his British War & Victory Medals. He also attended the 40th Reunion Dinner of No. 15 Squadron in November 1958, when his old pilot Major H. V. Stammers and eleven others were present; sold with a file of research.