A VERY FINE WW1 ‘WESTERN FRONT’ SOPWITH SCOUT PILOT’S PAIR AWARDED TO CAPTAIN, 66 SQUADRON, ROYAL FLYING CORPS, WHO FLEW IN AT LEAST 50 OFFENSIVE PATROLS WITH THE SQUADRON OVER THE WESTERN FRONT, MARCH - JULY 1917, CLAIMING 2 ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED, AND SUFFERING THREE CRASHES OF HIS OWN IN THE PROCESS

BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, WITH M.I.D. OAK LEAVES ‘CAPT. D. F. COX. R.A.F.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 3 June 1918.

Dudley Fisher Cox was born in Golder’s Green, London June 1898. He was the son of Herbert Robert Cox, an accountant, and was educated at the Merchant Taylor’s School. Cox was employed as a Lloyd’s broker, as well as serving as a Private (No.6243) with No. 3 Company, Inns of Court Officer Training Corps from December 1914. During the Great War, he applied to join the Royal Flying Corps, 6 July 1916, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant into the General List in August 1916.

Cox carried out pilot training at the Central Flying School, and was posted for operational flying to 66 Squadron (Sopwith Scouts) at the start of 1917. Having moved with the Squadron to St. Omer, Cox was injured making a forced landing due to engine problems, 24 March 1917. Further misfortune occurred when taking off on an offensive patrol, 13 April 1917, just as he was taking off ‘slightly across wind, and down hill, his machine bumped, causing the machine to swing round, with the undercarriage collapsing, propellor smashed.’

The Squadron was engaged in offensive patrols during the Battles of Arras and Messines. Cox flew in a number of patrols, including 30 April 1917, when his aircraft………….

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Condition NEF, mounted for display, with flattened named card box of issue. Sold with extensive copied research. Ex DNW 2019.

A really very fine and well documented WW1 fighter pilot group.