Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: 2nd Lieutenant P. Bertrand, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in a “friendly fire” incident while serving as a pilot in No. 4 Squadron on the Western Front in June 1918

British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut., R.A.F.), together with related Memorial Plaque (Philippe Bertrand), extremely fine (3) £300-350

Philippe (a.k.a. Philip or “Angus”) was posted missing on 16 June 1918, having failed to return from an early morning reconnaissance patrol over Merris in an R.E. 8 of No. 4 Squadron. On further investigation by the relevant authorities, it transpired that his aircraft had actually been brought down by a British shell.

The following obituary notice appeared in The Times in the following month:

‘Philippe Bertrand, who fell in action on June 16th, was born in 1899, and was the second son of Captain Felix Bertrand, R.T.O., and of Mrs. Bertrand, of 10, Warwick Street, W.

A correspondent writes: His death removes from the fencing room a youth of great personal charm and un vrai escrimeur, who, had he lived, would have maintained undimmed the name of Angus as he was familiarly called. He began fencing at a tender age under his father at Warwick Street. Subsequently he moved to Belgium as a pupil of Verbrugge and later to Paris as a pupil of Rouleau, with whom he remained until the outbreak of war. He exhibited a rare gift, and his future as a fencer was one of great promise. At the international tournament at Ostend, which was actually in progress when war was declared, he won Une Medaille Speciale.

He followed his elder brother into the R.A.F., and qualified as a pilot in March last. He moved to France in May, and his keenness in the service and his charm of character soon won him the good will of his brother officers.

His C.O. writes of him: He was an exceedingly capable officer and one of the cheeriest members of the Squadron.’

Bertrand, who was just 18 years of age, was interred in the Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, near Bailleul, France.

Sold with three original wartime photographs, two of the recipient in uniform and the other of his original gravesite.