Description:
DIRECT FROM THE FAMILY NEVER BEEN ON THE MARKET BEFORE.
WW1 Military Cross unnamed as issued,1914/15 Star named 2 LIEUT C T DAVIDSON A & S HIGHRS, British War & Victory (mid emblem) Medals named LIEUT C R DAVIDSON RAF & Indian General Service Medal rare clasp Waziristan 1925 named F/L C R DAVIDSON RAF.
Charles became a cadet in the Officers Training Corps and was commissioned a Temp 2nd Lt in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and then the Highland Light Infantry on 17th Oct 1914 and landed with them in France on 9th June 1915. He was seconded to the RFC in March 1916, initially as an observer, before being appointed a flying officer on 5th June 1917.
He was posted to No.14 Squadron in the Middle East, scoring his first victory with them, by driving down an enemy observation plane out of control at Beit Hanun on 23rd Sept 1917 whilst flying a Vickers Bullet. He transferred to No.111 Squadron when it was founded as the fighter unit for the middle east, and scored his second win on 4th Oct 1917 in a two seater Bristol F2 Fighter, which he also used for four more wins, between 17th and 29th Dec 1917. For one of these triumps, fellow ace Fredericj John Knowles manned the guns in the rear seat. His final score in the Middle East was three enemy planes forced to land and destroyed, and three driven down out of control.
He left No.111 Sqaudron on 7th Feb 1918 and promoted to Lt on 4th Mar 1918 and April 1918 his MC was awarded: -
Second Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Charles Roberts Davidson, Highland Light Infantry and Royal Flying Corps. "For Conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He forced a hostile aeroplane to land and, descending to a low altitude, despite heavy rifle fire, shot down one of the occupants as he was escaping from the machine. On two later occasions, he forced an enemy machine to land, and drove another, which was last seen diving into country in which it was impossible to land. Finally, though his ankle was fractured by a bullet during an air combat, he landed without injury either to his observer or his machine".
Mentioned in dispatches on 1st Jan 1916.
After WW1 he was granted a permanent commission as a Lt in the Royal Air Force on 1st Aug 1919 resigning his commission with the Highland Light Infantry the same day. He was promoted to Flight Lt on the 1st Jan 1923 and posted to India with No.20 Sqaudron on 23rd Nov 1923 and then to the Headquarters of India on 8th July 1927. In 1925 he took part in the famous Pinks War in Waziristan campaign which was a bombing and strafing campaign against the Mahsud tribes people in the hills of South Waziristan.
A keen golfer he was in the RAF team that beat the Army in the Inter-Services Golf Campionship of 1931 held in Woking. On 5th June 1923 he was appointed to serve at HQ RAF Transjordan and Palestine based in Jerusalem, before finally returning to the UK as a flying instructor at No.2 Flying Training School, based at RAF Digby from 15th Oct 1934.
While at RAF Digby he built himself an aircraft called the Mignet HM14 "Flying Flea" registered on 4th Feb 1936 as G-AEBS. He was flying it on the 21st May 1936 when it became unstable and crashed killing him instantly. The Flying Flea was a cheap and simple self-build aircraft fro flying enthusiasts, but it was discovered after several deaths that it had a fatal flaw in its design which caused it to go into an uncontrollable dive if the pilot pushed the nose down to prevent a stall. The aircraft was banned in the UK after three deaths in one month including Davidson.
Squadron Leader Davidson is buried at the Church of the Holy Cross, Scopwick, Lincolnshire.
Sold with a copy photo of him in uniform with his MC ribbon which came direct from family.
