*Original Photograph and Miniature Victoria Cross of WW1 Flying Ace Albert Ball *
This is a very unusual and collectible WW1 commerative photograph and miniature Victoria Cross. The photograph measure 6.5cm x 9cm and is mounted on red silk. The frame meaures 11cm x 18.6cm and is a leather shagreen frame with the brass crest of the RFC (Royal Flying Corp). The Cross itself measures 1.5 x 1.5cm, 5.3cm in length including the ribbon.
Albert Ball, VC, DSO & Two Bars, MC, born on 14 August 1896 and perished on 7 May 1917, was an esteemed British fighter pilot renowned for his exploits during the First World War. At the time of his death, he held the distinction of being the foremost flying ace of the United Kingdom, having achieved an impressive tally of 44 victories.
Hailing from Nottingham, Albert Ball enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters at the outbreak of the First World War and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in October 1914. The following year, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and acquired his pilot’s wings on 26 January 1916. Serving with No. 13 Squadron RFC in France, he initially conducted reconnaissance missions before being assigned to No. 11 Squadron in May, which specialized in aerial combat. During his time there, he achieved numerous victories in the skies and garnered significant recognition, earning two Distinguished Service Orders and the Military Cross. Albert Ball became the first flying ace to capture the hearts of the British public, transforming him into a national hero.
After a period of service in his home country, Ball was later assigned to No. 56 Squadron, which deployed to the Western Front in April 1917. Tragically, his life was cut short when he crashed in a French field on 7 May. He was last seen pursuing the red Albatros D.III of the Red Baron’s younger brother, Lothar von Richthofen, who eventually landed near AnnÅ“ullin with a punctured fuel tank. Cyril Crowe observed Ball flying into a dark thundercloud. A German pilot officer on the ground, Lieutenant Hailer, then saw Ball’s plane falling upside-down from the bottom of the cloud, at an altitude of 200 feet (61 m), with a dead prop.
Ball’s squadron harboured hopes that he was a prisoner of war, and the British government officially listed him as “missing” on 18 May. There was much speculation in the press; in France, the Havas news agency reported: “Albert Ball, the star of aviators… has been missing since the 7th May. Is he a prisoner or has he been killed? If he is dead, he died fighting for his forty-fifth victory.”It was only at the end of the month that the Germans dropped messages behind Allied lines announcing that Ball was dead, and had been buried in Annoeullin with full military honours two days after he crashed. Over the grave of the man they dubbed “the English Richthofen”, the Germans erected a cross bearing the inscription Im Luftkampf gefallen für sein Vaterland Engl. Flieger-Hauptmann Albert Ball, Royal Flying Corps (“Fallen in air combat for his fatherland English pilot Captain Albert Ball”).
This devastating event triggered an outpouring of national grief and resulted in posthumous honors, including the prestigious Victoria Cross bestowed upon him for his exceptional bravery during his final tour of duty. The legendary German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, upon learning of Ball’s untimely demise, acknowledged him as “by far the best English flying man.”
In 2006, Ball was one of six recipients of the Victoria Cross to be featured on a special commemorative edition of Royal Mail stamps marking the 150th anniversary of the award. In 2015, Ball was featured on a £5 coin (issued in silver and gold) in a six-coin set commemorating the Centenary of the First World War by the Royal Mint. His full size Victoria Cross is displayed at the Nottingham Castle Museum along with his other medals and memorabilia, including a bullet-holed Avro windshield, a section of engine piping from one of his damaged Nieuports, his Freedom of Nottingham Scroll and Casket, and various letters and other papers. A portrait study by Noel Denholm Davis is in the collection of Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
*Condition*
The photograph, cross and frame are in excellent condition given their age. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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