A fascinating Great War Flying Distinguished Flying Cross and Military Cross and bar recipient’s pair awarded to Captain C.T. Cleaver, Royal Air Force later of the 10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) and Royal Flying Corps who would see service in France from 1914 being wounded in the trenches the following year. Making a successful application for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps, he joined No.3 Squadron as a Second Lieutenant and Observer in the summer of 1915 and would quickly be in action on 5th September 1915 when his aircraft was severely holed by enemy machine-gun fire and his pilot wounded. However they would claim a shared victory on 11th October when he and his pilot would recklessly land alongside the machine they had downed.
Reckless low-level work would be a dominating factor throughout Cleaver’s period of service, being twice wounded, the first occasion being on 9th October 1916. He would then be decorated three times for his exploits, the first time being in the London Gazette of 20th October 1916 when he would be awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and skill. He has shown great dash in contact patrol work at very low altitudes. On one occasion he obtained good information of a trench flying at 500 feet under heavy fire from rifles and machine guns. He would then be awarded a bar to his Military Cross in the London Gazette of 18th June 1917 for a low level sortie on 3rd May 1917, for his conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, on reconnaissance patrol, he was wounded in the arm. He continued flying for some time gaining most valuable information. On landing his insisted on being taken to Headquarters to impart the results of his reconnaissance. His final decoration of the war, a Distinguished Flying Cross would be gazetted on 8th February 1919 for his bravery on 11th October 1918 when along with his pilot he carried out a most daring and successful contact patrol. Flying at an average height of fifty feet in the face of extremely heavy machine-gun fire, they at times descended to twenty feet to enable Captain Cleaver to communicate with the troops. Much valuable information was obtained as to the strength and location of the enemy, proving of the greatest assistance to our troops. The machine and engine were hit by fire from the ground, but although these officers fully realised this, they refused to leave the lines until the reconnaissance was completed..
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CAPT. C.T. CLEAVER. R.A.F.)
Condition: edge-knocks, particularly to the reverse rim at 4 o’clock, Very Fine
Along with a reprinted photograph of Cleaver in Uniform
Charles Thornton Cleaver was born in Liverpool in November 1893 and educated at Repton. Enlisting in the 1/10th (Liverpool Scottish) Battalion, The King’s on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was embarked for France in November and was slightly wounded whilst in the trenches in the following year.
He subsequently made a successful application for a commission in the Royal Flying Corps and joined No.3 Squadron as a Second Lieutenant and Observer in the summer of 1915. He was quickly in action, his aircraft being severely holed by enemy machine-gun fire on 5th September 1915 and his pilot, Second Lieutenant Claude Ridley, wounded, compensation would come in the way of a shared victory on 11th October when he and his pilot would recklessly land alongside the machine they had downed.
Reckless low-level work appears to have been a dominating factor throughout Cleaver’s extended period of service in 3 Squadron. He was twice wounded, on the first occasion by rifle fire on 9th October 1916, whilst recovering from his wound in hospital, he would receive the award of his Military Cross, which was gazetted on 20th October 1916:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and skill. He has shown great dash in contact patrol work at very low altitudes. On one occasion he obtained good information of a trench flying at 500 feet under heavy fire from rifles and machine guns’
Returning to 3 Squadron, he collected his second wound in yet another low-level sortie on 3rd May 1917, so too, his Second Military Cross which would be gazetted on 18th June 1917:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When flying at a low altitude on reconnaissance patrol, he was wounded in the arm. He continued flying for some time gaining most valuable information. On landing his insisted on being taken to Headquarters to impart the results of his reconnaissance.
He would be evacuated home but returned to the operational scene in France with appointments in 16 and 39 Squadrons, and it was in this capacity that he and his pilot won Distinguished Flying Cross for a daring contact patrol towards the wars end, this being gazetted on 8th February 1919:
‘On 11th October 1918 these officers carried out a most daring and successful contact patrol. Flying at an average height of fifty feet in the face of extremely heavy machine-gun fire, they at times descended to twenty feet to enable Captain Cleaver to communicate with the troops. Much valuable information was obtained as to the strength and location of the enemy, proving of the greatest assistance to our troops. The machine and engine were hit by fire from the ground, but although these officers fully realised this, they refused to leave the lines until the reconnaissance was completed.’
He would later be placed on the unemployed list in January 1919. Cleaver returned to his family’s cotton business in Liverpool. He married Ruth McReynolds in Paris, Texas in May 1922.
