Beschreibung:

A Great War casualty group of three awarded to R.K.8 Observer Second Lieutenant G. G. Ashton, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who received gun shot wounds to the hand, wrist and head whilst serving with the 1/4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (T.F.), 23 July 1916. He was commissioned in to the 1/6th Battalion, West Riding Regiment before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1918. Ashton flew in a number of bombing sorties with 8 Squadron, including having to make a forced landing, before he and his pilot were killed in action on a Tank Contact Patrol over the Somme, 23 July 1918 1914-15 Star (3046 Pte G. G. Ashton. E. York. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. G. G. Ashton. R.A.F.); Memorial Plaque (George Gilbert Ashton) last mounted on a wooden oak plinth, reverse annotated in pen ‘From one taken out of roof Cottingham St. Mary’s Church ?1896 Oak 400 years old’, nearly extremely fine (4) £400-£500 A Great War casualty group of three awarded to R.K.8 Observer Second Lieutenant G. G. Ashton, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who received gun shot wounds to the hand, wrist and head whilst serving with the 1/4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (T.F.), 23 July 1916. He was commissioned in to the 1/6th Battalion, West Riding Regiment before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1918. Ashton flew in a number of bombing sorties with 8 Squadron, including having to make a forced landing, before he and his pilot were killed in action on a Tank Contact Patrol over the Somme, 23 July 1918 1914-15 Star (3046 Pte G. G. Ashton. E. York. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. G. G. Ashton. R.A.F.); Memorial Plaque (George Gilbert Ashton) last mounted on a wooden oak plinth, reverse annotated in pen ‘From one taken out of roof Cottingham St. Mary’s Church ?1896 Oak 400 years old’, nearly extremely fine (4) £400-£500 George Gilbert Ashton was born in Cottingham in December 1894, and was the son of Charles William Ashton of Hallgate, Cottingham, Hull, Yorkshire. Ashton was educated at Hull Technical College, and was employed as an Engineer by his father. He enlisted in the East Yorkshire Regiment at Hull, 16 November 1914. Ashton served with the 1/4th Battalion (T.F.) in the French theatre of war from, 17 April 1915. He received gunshot wounds to the hand, wrist and head, 23 July 1916, and returned to England for recuperation five days later. Ashton was posted to the Officer Cadet Battalion in May 1917, and commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 1/6th Battalion, West Riding Regiment in August 1917. Ashton transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in March 1918, and carried out training as an Observer. He was posted for operational flying with 8 Squadron (R.E.8’s and F.K.8’s) at Auxi-le-Chateau, 12 May 1918. Ashton’s first operational sortie was with Lieutenant F. M. F. West (later V.C.) as his pilot, 15 May 1918. He carried out a photographic reconnaissance with ‘72 plates exposed 7 E.A. seen E. of Albert all engaged by AA and French Scouts. Pilot fired 50 rounds at 2 seater which turned E.’ (Squadron Record Book refers). Ashton flew with a number of pilots on various bombing sorties including on positions at Carnoy, Fricourt and Mericourt throughout May - July, before predominately crewing with Lieutenant H. W. Walker as his pilot. He was flying with the latter when they had engine trouble and had to make a forced landing, wrecking the aircraft in the process, 6 June 1918. The pair were up in the air again the following day, and during June the Squadron was chosen to co-operate with the Tank Corps. Walker and Ashton took off in D5108 A.W. F.K.8 at 6.10am on a Tank Contact Patrol, 23 July 1918. They failed to return and were initially listed as missing in action, before finally being recorded as killed in action. Second Lieutenant Ashton is buried with his pilot in Heath Military Cemetery, Harbonnieres, Somme, France. He is also commemorated on the Cottingham War Memorial and the Hull Te