Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A poignant campaign group of three awarded to Lieutenant G. K. Cathles, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, late 14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish), London Regiment. Cathles received a severe gun shot wound to the face, 25 January 1915, leading to 17 months in hospital and 13 different operations. Offered an honourable discharge from the Army, instead he decided to volunteer for a commission in the Kite Balloon Section, Royal Flying Corps. The latter was short-lived with his nerves shattered, and once again he would have been offered a way out. However he persevered, and served as an Equipment Officer and then a Technical Officer with 144 Squadron in Egypt. Then in an astonishing turn of events that confirmed his determination, he was declassified from Technical to Flying Observer in August 1918. It was a decision that was to cost him his life - when he went up in a D.H.9 piloted by the Canadian ‘Ace’ Captain A. L. Fleming, M.C. and was killed in a flying accident, 11 August 1918

1914 Star (2316 Pte G. K. Cathles. 14/Lond: R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. G. K. Cathles. R.A.F.) with privately made memorial plaque in silver mounted on wood depicting the Royal Air Force Eagle above the force motto, additionally engraved ‘George Kinloch Cathles Served Royal Air Force Aug 12th 1914 - Aug 11th 1918’, generally good very fine or better (3) £600-£800

George Kinloch Cathles was born in October 1894, and educated at Hornsey County School, Highgate Grammar School and the South London Polytechnic. He was employed as a Shipping Clerk with a firm of East Indian Merchants prior to the war. Cathles enlisted in the 14th (County of London) Battalion (London Scottish), London Regiment, 17 August 1914, and served with the Battalion in the French theatre of war from 16 September 1914. He suffered a severe gun shot wound to the face, 25 January 1915, and spent the next 17 months in hospital undergoing 13 different operations.

Cathles was offered his discharge from the Army, but choose to apply for a commission in the Kite Balloon Section of the Royal Flying Corps. He was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant, 9 September 1916, and appointed as a Balloon Officer, 26 October 1916. Cathles served with No. 24 Kite Balloon Section in France from November 1916. However, his operational service in balloons was very short-lived and it appears that his nerves were shattered and he was readmitted to hospital on Christmas Day 1916. There then followed months of treatment and sick leave and a R.F.C. Medical Board arraigned on 8 May 1917 gave the following verdict, ‘His nerve for balloon work has gone, and in my opinion he is not likely to stand the strain of general service in any branch.’

Cathles continued to persevere and was re-appointed as an Equipment Officer 3rd Class in August 1917. He was promoted Temporary Lieutenant and posted to Egypt in March 1918. Cathles served as Technical Officer with 144 Squadron at Port Said, and then in an astonishing turn of events that confirmed his determination, he was declassified from Technical to Flying Observer in August 1918. It was a decision that was to cost him his life. Cathles went up in a D.H.9 with Canadian ‘Ace’ Captain A. L. Fleming, M.C. (with 8 Victories to his name) as his pilot. The aircraft crashed with the pilot surviving, and Cathles being killed - ‘the cause of the accident was in our opinion due to the machine being stalled on a turn thus causing it to go into a spin coming out into a nose dive and owing to a lack of height the pilot was unable to extricate himself.’ (Court of Inquiry findings refer).

Lieutenant Cathles is buried in Port Said War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Sold with extensive copied research.