Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The extremely rare Aero Club of America’s Medal for Honour and Merit awarded to Air Commodore P. F. Fullard, Royal Air Force and Royal Flying Corps

Aero Club of America Medal for Honour and Merit 1917, 67mm, bronze, the obverse featuring a winged female figure representing the Muse of the Air encircled by a ring of stars, with an additional ring of stars around her head, ‘Coeli Colis, Stellarum Corona’ [‘To the heroes of the skies, a crown of stars’] around, the reverse depicting an eagle flying over the globe, with text ‘Aero Club of America’, all within a central laurel wreath, with ‘Honor and Merit’ above and ‘1917’ below, with plaque in exergue embossed ‘Philip F. Fullard’, in case of issue, extremely fine, rare £1,400-£1,800

In the summer of 1917, representatives of the Aero Club of America organised a Foreign Service Committee in Paris. The primary purposes of this committee were to provide for the needs of American pilots in France, and to afford them a clubhouse in Paris where they might relax when on leave from the theatre of battle. Among the advisory members of the Committee were: Major Edmund L. Gros; Lieutenant-Colonel William Thaw; Captain James E. Miller; and Sergeant George F. Campbell-Wood, former secretary of the A.C.A. who was then serving in the French Army. It was this committee who created the Aero Club of America’s Medal for Merit and Honour, in 1917, for presentation to deserving Allied aviators.

The Aero Club of America’s Medal for Honour and Merit was awarded to just seven British and Commonwealth Ace’s: Colonel William A. Bishop, V.C.; Major Edward Mannock, V.C.; Captain Albert Ball V.C.; Captain James B. McCudden, V.C.; Captain Roderick S. Dallas; Captain Philip P. Fullard; and Captain Henry W. Wollett.

For the recipient’s British honours and awards, see the previous lot.

This lot is now combined with Lot 141.