Victory Medal awarded to 2nd Lieutenant W.M.W. Ayles, Royal Air Force, formerly Royal Flying Corps, who was working in the Civil Service as an assistant clerk with the Admiralty, when owing to the Great War, he then enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps in November 1917. Having qualified as an Observer and been commissioned in August 1918, that same month he was posted out to the Western Front as a Corps Observer before being posted operational to join No.21 Squadron. This unit, equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 two-seat bi-plane and reconnaissance aircraft, was generally employed on artillery observation duties. Trenchard, the commander of aerial forces, would describe No. 21 as "the best artillery squadron in France". Ayles remained employed on these duties through to the end of the war, and was still out in France when he was accidentally killed on 20th December 1918, he having attempted to take the cap off a German shell when it exploded. Ayles was one of two officers believed to have been killed in this incident, neither of whom were on military duty on this occasion, and it is believed that they were souvenir hunting.
Victory Medal; (2.LIEUT. W.M.W. AYLES. R.A.F.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Walter Matthew William Ayles was born on 26th October 1899 in Winton near Bornemouth, Hampshire, but later moved with his family to Southfields, London, where he lived on 70 Replingham Road. Ayles was working in the Civil Service as an assistant clerk with the Admiralty, when owing to the Great War, he then enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps as a 3rd Class Airman on 12th November 1917, and then transferred into the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1st April 1918 as a Private 2nd Class. Having opted for flying duties, he was posted to No.1 School of Aviation on 24th May 1918, and then to the Armaments School on 24th June 1918, before being posted to No.1 School of Aerial Gunnery on 6th July 1918, and was then posted out to attend a commissioning course on 27th July 1918, being then commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Royal Air Force on 10th August 1918 and appointed Flying Officer (Observer).
As a qualified Observer, he was then posted out to the Western Front on 22nd August 1918 as a Corps Observer before being posted operational to join No.21 Squadron. This unit, equipped with the Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 two-seat bi-plane and reconnaissance aircraft, was generally employed on artillery observation duties. Trenchard, the commander of aerial forces, would describe No. 21 as "the best artillery squadron in France". Ayles remained employed on these duties through to the end of the war, and was still out in France when he was accidentally killed on 20th December 1918. At the time of his death, he was attempting to take the cap off a German shell when it exploded. Ayles was one of two officers believed to have been killed in this incident, neither of whom were on military duty on this occasion, and it is presumed that they were souvenir hunting. Ayles is buried in Tourcoing (Pont-Neuville) Communal Cemetery. He is also commemorated by name on the Civil Servants War Memorial.