Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second War C.B., Great War Pilot’s M.C., D.F.C. group of twelve awarded to Air Vice-Marshal H. V. Champion de Crespigny, commanding No. 29 Squadron R.F.C. and No. 65 Squadron R.A.F. on the Western Front, and with extensive service on the North West Frontier of India

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, in its Garrard case of issue; Military Cross, G.V.R.; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (2. Lieutenant, R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Major, R.A.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 4 clasps, Mahsud 1919-20, Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24, North West Frontier 1930-31 (F/Lt., R.A.F.); Africa Star; Defence & War Medals; Coronation 1937; French Croix de Guerre 1914-18, the last eleven mounted as worn, together with a Polish pilot’s badge by Firmin, nearly very fine or better, the I.G.S. extremely rare (13) £4000-4500

See colour illustration on front cover.

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1943

M.C. London Gazette 16 May 1916: Second Lieut. - Temp. Captain, 11 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. “For conspicuous gallantry and skill, notably when he attacked five enemy machines over the enemy’s lines. He drove away one and brought another to the ground badly hit. His own machine was then crippled by the fire of the remaining three, but after emptying one more drum at them he brought his machine down safely in our lines.”

‘Capt de Crespigny on a machine of 11 Sqn (observer, 2 Lt J. Hughes Chamberlain) while on patrol attacked five L.V.G. biplanes over Lens. He fired two drums at the first at about 110 yards range and three drums at the second at about 40 yards. The latter dived steeply towards the German lines. The other three machines made off. Capt de Crespigny’s machine was now completely out of control, the engine having stopped, the propeller being smashed and the control wire shot away. Capt de Crespigny, however, with great skill brought his machine to the ground behind our own lines without any casualty to himself or his observer’ (Ref R.F.C. Communiqués). Captain de Crespigny later stated that they were “saved by perfect rigging.”

D.F.C. London Gazette 3 December 1918: Major, Commanding No. 65 Squadron, France. “A brilliant and gallant officer who displays high initiative in night flying, in which service his example has been invaluable to those under his command. On the night of September 23rd-24th, Major Champion de Crespigny carried out a long-distance bombing raid. Flying a machine unsuitable for night duty, and in face of adverse weather conditions, he reached, and successfully bombed, his objective. A fine performance, calling for cool courage and determination.”

‘Maj Crespigny, and Lt M. A. Newnham, 65 Sqn, attacked Gontrode Aerodrome between 10 p.m. and 12.30 a.m. In spite of a strong wind and rain storms, both pilots descended to 200 feet, obtaining direct hits with four 25-lb bombs on the Zeppelin hangar. They then attacked a shed, which was lit up, with machine gun fire. Lt Newnham remained over the aerodrome for twenty minutes, circling round and firing at any lights that he saw. They then returned to the lines at a low height, shooting at any targets that presented themselves’ (Ref R.A.F. Communiqués). Both pilots received the D.F.C. for this raid, one of the earliest examples of night intruder sorties by single-seaters.

French Croix de Guerre with Bronze Palme London Gazette 5 April 1919.

Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny was born at Brighton, Victoria, Australia, on 8 April 1897. He was educated at Brighton, and University College, Melbourne, and enlisted into the Australian Infantry as a Private in August 1914, having been 2nd Lieutenant in 46 Battalion Australian Senior Cadets. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) Royal Flying Corps (Special Reserve) on 26 February 1915; Lieutenant, R.F.C., 1 January 1916; 2nd Lieutenant, Suffolk Regiment, Seconded for duty with R.F.C., 4 January 1916; Flight Commander (Temp. Captain) R.F.C., 12 January 1916; Commander (Temp. Major) R.F.C., 21 March 1917; Lieutenant, Suffolk Regiment, 4 July 1917; Major (Airplanes) Royal Air Force, 1 April 1918.

Hugh Champion de Crespigny gained his Royal Aero Certificate No. 1099 at the Military Aviation School, Brooklands, on 26 February 1915, and joined No. 11 Squadron in France where he flew Vickers FB5s, and later FB9s, with much success. Lieutenant Insall won his V.C. with this squadron in November 1915, and Albert Ball joined as a junior Lieutenant early in 1916. Champion de Crespigny won the Military Cross for a valiant dog-fight in April 1916 and is otherwise mentioned several times in R.F.C. Communiqués engaged in combats during 1915 and 1916. He took over temporary command of No. 29 Squadron from 22 March until 21 July 1917, and again from 4 October to 20 November, later that same year. Whilst still only 19 years of age when promoted temporary Major in March 1917, he is believed to be the youngest serving Major in the Royal Flying Corps or Army at that time. He had only recently celebrated his 21st birthday when he took over command of the celebrated 65 Camel scout Squadron on 3 June 1918. 65 Squadron’s greatest dog-fight took place only a week before the Armistice and out of 40 enemy aircraft encountered 9 were destroyed, 8 probables for the loss of 2 aircraft and only one pilot, another pilot being taken prisoner.

Champion de Crespigny remained in command of 65 Squadron until February 1919, and was presented with his M.C. and D.F.C. by the King at Buckingham Palace on 4 December 1919. He subsequently proceeded to India, where he served on the North West Frontier in the Mahsud operations as Flight Commander with No. 97 Squadron (renumbered to No. 60 Squadron in April 1920. He commanded No. 60 Squadron in the Waziristan operations of 1921-24 and was mentioned in despatches for operations on the N.W. Frontier in 1930, at which time he was in command of No. 2 Indian Wing Station at Risalpur. His India General Service medal is one of only seven with four clasps to the Royal Air Force, and unique with the Mahsud clasp.

In September 1939 he was appointed Air Vice-Marshal Commanding the Armament Group, and in 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding the Iraq and Persia Air Command (awarded C.B. 1943). For the remainder of the war he was commanding No. 21 Group and he retired from the Royal Air Force in November 1945.

In 1946 Champion de Crespigny joined the Control Commission and became Regional Commissioner of Schleswig-Holstein, North-West Germany, where he was responsible for organizing the complete Civil Administration at all levels, from village to State, including the forming of a democratic constitution and organization of elections. During 1948 he lectured throughout Sweden, and at Copenhagen University, on matters of European Integration, a subject which brought him into contact with Winston Churchill who was Chairman of the United Europe Movement. He emigrated to South Africa in February 1949, where he became involved in local politics and took up farming in Natal. Air Vice-Marshal Champion de Crespigny died in South Africa on 20 June 1969. Sold with a quantity of photographs and negatives, and several original letters and other research.