THE EXCEPTIONAL WWI PILOTS M.C., A.F.C. AND POST WAR O.B.E. MEDALS, MILITARIA AND DOCUMENTS GROUP TO A WING COMMANDER, ROYAL AIR FORCE, WHO AFTER SERVICES IN THE TRENCHES AS AN NCO IN THE 1/8TH (TERRITORIAL) BATTALION, WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT, BECAME A PILOT IN THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS, EARNING THE MILITARY CROSS FOR GALLANTRY IN 1917 AS A ‘BIG AK’ PILOT OF 35TH SQUADRON. A “GALLANT AND DETERMINED PILOT” HE WAS FURTHER AWARDED THE AIR FORCE CROSS IN 1918 FOR HIS SERVICE AT HOME ESTABLISHMENT. FROM 1919 AS A PIONEER OF CIVIL AVIATION WITH HANDLEY PAGE, HE PILOTED THE FIRST TRANS-EUROPEAN FLIGHT BY A COMMERCIAL AEROPLANE IN 1919. RECALLED TO SERVICE DURING THE SECOND WAR, HE INITIALLY SERVED WITH NO 3 MILITARY AND AIR MISSION OR 'PHANTOM', REMAINING IN EUROPE UNTIL THE FALL OF FRANCE AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS WING COMMANDER AND AIR MINISTRY LIAISON OFFICER WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE 1943 ‘WINGS FOR VICTORY’ CAMPAIGN. A FIRST-CLASS CRICKETER HE REPRESENTED WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB BETWEEN 1919 AND 1931 AND IN LATER YEARS BECAME PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB. HE WAS AWARDED THE O.B.E. FOR HIS SERVICE AS DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION

THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE OFFICER'S SILVER GILT BADGE, CIVIL DIVISION, MILITARY CROSS G.V.R., REVERSE ENGRAVED ‘CAPT. W.H.N. SHAKESPEARE. R.F.C. 1917.’. SUSPENSION BAR ADDITIONALLY ENGRAVED ‘CAPT. W.H.N.SHAKESPEARE. R.F.C.’, AIR FORCE CROSS G.V.R., 1914-15 STAR ‘2360 CPL. W.G.N. SHAKESPEARE. WORC. R.’, BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS ‘CAPT. W.H.N. SHAKESPEARE. R.A.F.’, 1939-1945 STAR, DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS. Swing mounted as originally worn.

O.B.E. London Gazette 31 May 1968

“Wing Commander William Harold Nelson Shakespeare, MC, AFC, deputy chairman, Royal Air Forces Association.”

M.C. London Gazette 4 February 1918

"T./Capt. William Harold Nelson Shakespeare, RFC, was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He carried out a most successful contact patrol in very bad weather at a height of 400ft and brought back very valuable information. Later, he carried out another successful contact patrol at low altitude, his machine being subjected to intense rifle and machine-gun fire. He is a gallant and determined pilot and has set a fine example to his squadron."

A.F.C. London Gazette 29 October 1918.

"T./Capt. William Harold Nelson Shakespeare, RFC, was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He carried out a most successful contact patrol in very bad weather at a height of 400ft and brought back very valuable information. Later, he carried out another successful contact patrol at low altitude, his machine being subjected to intense rifle and machine-gun fire. He is a gallant and determined pilot and has set a fine example to his squadron."

A.F.C. London Gazette 29 October 1918.

Wing Commander William Harold Nelson Shakespeare was born in Worcester on 24 August 1893 and was educated at the Royal Grammar School. Proficient in French and German, he was employed by Joseph Leete & Sons Ltd as a foreign correspondent from 1913 but on the outbreak of the Great War, he enlisted in the 1/8th Territorial Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, serving in France from 1 April 1915. As part of 144th Brigade, 48th Division, the 1/8th. The battalion was in action int the trenches on the Western Front and during the Somme offensive, 1 July 1916, suffering heavy casualties during the attack on Quadrilateral. Shakespeare transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, receiving his commission as Temp 2nd Lieutenant (Probationary) on 27 July 1916, training as a pilot at Reading and 25 R.S. before joining the newly formed 59 Squadron on 11 September 1916………………

ADDITIONAL TO THE WING COMMANDERS MEDAL THE GROUP INCLUDES:

1) British Empire Aviator's Certificate No 3548 with photograph, dated 7 Sept 1916

2) Worcestershire Regiment cap badge

3) Beautiful Royal Flying Corps wings, cast and hand tooled 72mm 9.6g possibly gold

4) Royal Flying Corps cloth flying badge. Removed from uniform, extremely fine example

5) City of Worcester Mayor's Key, William A Bennett (1938-1945), boxed

6) 9ct gold and enamel neck badge with arms of Worcester, Birmingham 1931, 19g

7) Small penknife embossed with Shakespeare’s name. This with most of gilt finished rubbed off. Photographs & Documents:

8) Typed itinerary of the first Flight to Greece, 9 October 1919, from Major Humphrey on Handley Page Ltd notepaper to Captain Shakespeare

9) Typed carbon copy of Shakespeare's 16 page report of the flight headed 'across Europe by air'

10) A 1919 Greek Newspaper featuring (with portrait) Shakespeare’s famous flight.

11) A foreign hotel bills and Greek newspaper and paper money, 1919, presumably souvenirs of the flight

12) Photograph Handley Page 0/400 converted bomber G-EALY as flown by Shakespeare

13) Unopened emergency ration tin of 'Bovril'. dated 1941

14) Various newspaper cuttings relating to Shakespeare, his flights and a detailed obituary.

15) Royal Flying Corps Tie

Additionally a small amount of copied research.

A really quite exception pilots group and certainly worthy of further research.