1.R.N.A.S & R.A.F. WW1 RUSSIA DIED OF MALARIA 1919 MEDAL GROUP CPL W H BROOKER

Description

Offered is a 1914 – 15 Star, impressed named F.6860. W.H. BOOKER. A.M. 1.R.N.A.S.; British War and Victory Medals, impressed named 206860 CPL. W.H. BROOKER. R.A.F. Medals display court mounted & come with copies R.N.A.S. & R.A.F service papers and research.

Corporal William Henry Brooker was born on the 8/6/1888 in Croydon, Surrey. Pre war he was working as a fitter for the Croydon Tramways, he enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service 26/7/1915 for ‘Hostilities only Service’. After undergoing training at President II, he was posted as an Air Mechanic to H.M.S Vindex 10/9/1915 and served on her until 21/2/1919.

HMS Vindex was a Royal Navy seaplane carrier, converted from the fast passenger ship SS Viking. The Vindex was assigned to the Harwich Force in November 1915 and operated in the North Sea through 1917. A Bristol Scout C made the first take-off from the ship on 3 November 1915 and it was the first take-off by a landplane from a Royal Navy ship. On 25 March 1916 Vindex attempted to attack the Zeppelin base at Tondern with three Short Type 184 and two Sopwith Baby floatplanes, but the attack was ineffective. It did, however, draw out elements of the German Navy so it was repeated on 4 May with the addition of HMS Engadine. The two ships carried eleven Babies between them, each armed with 65-pound bombs, but eight failed to take-off; one hit the mast of an escorting destroyer and one had to return due to engine trouble. No damage was inflicted, but one Zeppelin was shot down by a cruiser when it sortied to find the British ships. On 2 August one of her Bristol Scouts unsuccessfully attacked the Zeppelin LZ 53 (L 17) with explosive Ranken darts, the first interception of an airship by a carrier-based aircraft in history. Vindex was to provide aerial reconnaissance with two of her seaplanes for a Coastal Motor Boat raid on 22 October 1916, but the operation was aborted because of fog. The ship was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet at Malta in 1918, where she served until, she was paid off in late 1919.

Whilst he has initially signed on for ‘Hostilities Only’ his papers are marked ‘Definitely retained 1/2/1919’.

21/2/1919, posted to 62 Wing for service in Russia. 2/3/1919 to 221 Squadron which was stationed at Petrovsk Kaskar dets Chechen, Lagan.

At the time the mainly Cossack Army was pushing back the Red Army in the South, while the British Navy attempted to neutralise the Communist controlled naval fleet. To support these actions, in January 1919, No. 221 Squadron was shipped across the Black Sea to Batum harbour and from there moved to their base in Petrovsk on the Caspian Sea. The squadron was equipped with Airco DH9s which were powered by liquid-cooled engines. The freezing temperatures meant that the engines were almost impossible to start. Gradually, hangars and living quarters were built, which improved the serviceability of the aircraft. However, conditions remained grim and the moral and the health of RAF personnel was poor.

Cpl Brooker was taken ill on 5/8/1919 and was diagnosed with malaria on 24 August. Transferred to hospital in Constantinople, his condition deteriorated on 25 October when he became dangerously ill with septicemia. Moved to Harfleur and then to No. 6 General Hospital in Rouen, he died on 6/11/ 1919. Aged 31, He is buried at the St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, his headstone bearing the inscription, ‘Sleep on Dear Son and take thy rest’.