Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

Pair: Lieutenant E. D. Whittles, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Artists Rifles
British War and Victory Medals (Lieut E. D. Whittles. R.A.F.)

Five: Mrs. Florence B. Whittles, British Red Cross Society
Three British Red Cross Society Medals, bronze and enamel, all named to the reverse ‘F. B. Whittles’, with top riband bars for Proficiency in Red Cross Nursing, Red Cross First Aid, and Anti-Gas Training’; a British Red Cross Society Long Service Medal, for 3 Years’ Service with integral top riband bar, bronze and enamel, the reverse officially numbered 15172; British Red Cross Society ‘For Merit’ badge, bronze and enamel, named to the reverse ‘F. B. Whittles’ together with a British Red Cross Society Proficiency Voucher, certifying Mrs Florence Beatrice Whittles to be proficient in Anti-Gas Training, dated 5 June 1939, nearly extremely fine (lot) £180-£220

Edward Deric Whittles was born on 11 August 1897 at Leek, Staffordshire. A silk manufacturer by occupation, he attested for the 28th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Artists Rifles) on 24 November 1915 and was discharged on 9 September 1916 in consequence of being appointed Second Lieutenant on the General List for duty with the Royal Flying Corps. Having completed flying training in April 1917, he joined 54 Squadron (Sopwith Camels) in France on 14 March 1918 and was promoted Lieutenant on 1 April 1918, on which date he also transferred to the Royal Air Force upon its formation. A Medical Board having determined that his deteriorating health rendered him fit only for light duty at Home, he returned to England on 20 April and was appointed to a Temporary Commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 13 July, reverting to the rank of Second Lieutenant, and was released with effect from 26 April 1919. He died in Staffordshire in 1975.

Sold with copied service records and the following original items: Officer’s Record of Services Army Book 439; Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, British Empire Aviator’s Certificate in blue leather binding with photograph of the recipient in uniform; Air Ministry transmittal letter for Great War medals; Royal Flying Corps (Officers) Central Flying School graduation certificate; Royal Flying Corps cloth wings; photograph album containing twenty captioned photographs of the recipient, taken during 1918, mostly in R.F.C. uniform, both individual and group shots, one photograph captioned ‘E.D.W. winning the 100 Yds Open at Denstone 3.4.1913’, also containing another set of R.F.C. cloth wings; framed fine studio portrait photograph of the recipient in Royal Flying Corps uniform with metal R.F.C wings affixed to head of wooden backed, metal plated frame (17cm x 27cm).

Florence Beatrice Whittles (neé Wildblood), the wife of the above, was born in 1897 in Burslem, Staffordshire and died in Leek, Staffordshire in 1988.