Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare and well-documented campaign group of seven awarded to Group Captain W. H. Dolphin, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Indian Marine, who was one of the World’s pioneer aviators, being awarded the Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate No. 82, 9 May 1911. A hugely experienced pilot, who was mentioned in despatches for his services during the Great War and on the North West Frontier in 1919, and who was bestowed with the Order of the Nile by King Fuad of Egypt

1914-15 Star (Asst. Engr. W. H. Dolphin, R.I.M.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. W. H. Dolphin. R.A.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 3 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Mahsud 1919-20, Waziristan 1919-21, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Ft-Lt. W. H. Dolphin, R.A.F.) 2nd and 3rd clasps riveted together and loose on riband as issued, surname and unit partially officially corrected; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, 4th Class breast badge by Lattes, silver, silver-gilt and enamels, generally very fine or better (lot) £1,800-£2,200

Approximately 117 ‘Mahsud’ clasps awarded to the Royal Air Force, 66 of which appear in 3 clasp medals.

Wilfred Herbert Dolphin was born in Duddeston, Birmingham in May 1882. The following was provided by the Victoria Times, B.C. in 1936:

‘One of Great Britain’s pioneer aviation pilots, Wing Commander W. H. Dolphin, who recently retired from the Royal Air Force is an interesting visitor to Victoria in the course of a holiday tour of the world.

Wing Commander Dolphin is visiting this continent for the first time after a life spent mostly on service in the Far East, India, Afghanistan, Mesopotamia or Iraq as it is now known. Arabia, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey and Malta, each in turn having been the scene of his activities during the last thirty years.

Wing Commander Dolphin has the distinction of having worn the uniforms of all three services. Originally serving in the Royal Indian Marine, now the Royal Indian Navy, as an engineer officer, he later transferred to the Indian Army in search of more excitement, and from there was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps seeing active service with all three forces.

It was in 1910, while on leave from India, that Wing Commander Dolphin made his first flight with Claude Grahame White, flying in what he describes as “a sort of flying bird cage.” He decided to master the art of flying and in May 1911, was granted his pilot’s certificate by the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain, his certificate being number 82. He associated himself with the well known pioneer of aviation, Gordon England, and the late Col. James Valentine during the early part of 1911 and had many interesting experiences with them, both in England and in France.

But it was not until he was seconded for service with the Royal Air Force that he was able to make use of his knowledge of aircraft and skill as a pilot. On the formation of the R.A.F. he was gazetted to a permanent commission and has been largely concerned with the technical development of that service, although he continued active flying until shortly before his retirement last January.

Among the many interesting personalities he was associated with during his R.A.F. service was Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw, the former Nanaime boy who after a distinguished career during the war is now one of the outstanding figures in the air force in Great Britain.

Wing Commander Dolphin has had a career of great interest which, although arduous was full of excitement and adventure. He numbers among his many experiences life in the palaces of various Oriental rulers, expeditions against tribesmen of the Northwest Frontier, and of Kurdistan, and epic flights over inaccessible mountain country where a forced landing generally meant instant destruction, as well as tiger shoots in Bengal and big game hunting in many other parts by way of diversion.

Twice mentioned in despatches, Wing Commander Dolphin has in addition to the 1914-18 war medals, the Indian Northwest Frontier medal with three clasps and the Egyptian Order of the Nile, presented to him personally by the late King Fuad of Egypt at an investiture at the Abdin Palace in Alexandria in 1922.....’

Dolphin had initially been employed as an automobile engineer, and learned to fly in a Hanriot Monoplane at Brooklands, gaining his Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate, 9 May 1911. Prior to this he had spent time in India, and was a Freemason and member of the Deccan Lodge. He initially served during the Great War as an Assistant Engineer with the Royal Indian Marine, before ultimately transferring to the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force (M.I.D.). Dolphin advanced to Captain in April 1918, and served as a pilot on the North West Frontier (M.I.D. for Afghanistan 1919).

Dolphin advanced to Squadron Leader in June 1923, served in Egypt the following year [Order of the Nile, 4th Class], and was appointed Commanding Officer, Marine Section, Basrah, Iraq in 1926. During the latter posting he was in charge of RAF vessels using the waterways of Iraq. Dolphin advanced to Wing Commander in July 1931, and retired in January 1936.

After carrying out his ‘World Tour’, Dolphin was recalled for service at the outbreak of the Second World War. He retired as Group Captain in August 1941.

Sold with the following related original documentation: M.I.D. Certificate, dated 23 October 1918; Royal Aero Club Aviator’s Certificate, numbered ‘82’, dated 9 May 1911, and complete with photograph - this rare; Royal Indian Marine enclosure addressed to recipient at H.Q., R.A.F. Middle East, Egypt forwarding his 1914-15 Star from R.I.M Dockyard, Bombay, dated 21 December 1922; Air Ministry enclosure addressed to recipient at the Aircraft Depot, R.A.F. Aboukir, Egypt, forwarding the I.G.S. with ‘Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919’ clasp, dated 3 May 1923; Bestowal Document for the Order of the Nile, with R.A.F. Middle East enclosure, dated 19 August 1919; passport, photographic images of recipient in uniform including attending to the Duchess of Gloucester during an official visit in 1941, and copied research.