Lot 18
One of the Founders of the Royal Air Force
Clandestine Operations - Inc The D.J. Croll Medal Collection & Other Properties | M26002
Auction: 16 September 2026 at 10.30 BST
Description
The Historically important group of 13 awarded to Air Vice Marshall Sir Charles Laverock Lambe KCB, CMG, DSO Royal Navy and a foundational commander in the Royal Air Force hand-picked by Air Marshall H.M. Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO on its creation in 1918. Lambe was one of the most senior officers with naval experience to serve in the 1920s Royal Air Force comprising, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Military, Neck Badge, gilt, Breast Star, gilt, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order, GVR, all unnamed as issued, East and West Africa Medal, one clasp, Benin 1897, (Sub Lieut. C. L. Lambe. H.M.S. Magpie.), 1914-15 Star (WS Capt. C. L. Lambe. R.N.), 1914-1920 British War and Victory Medals, (Brig: Gen: C. L. Lambe. R.A.F.), France, Officer of the Legion of Honour, France, Croix de Guerre, Belgium, Commander of the Order of Leopold, Belgium Knight of the Order of the Crown, Belgium, Croix de Guerre, United States of America, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, all unnamed as issued contemporarily mounted for wear, toned fine (13)
Promotions and awards – The London Gazette otherwise stated as Edinburgh Gazette
17 Jan 1896 - confirmed Sub Lt
22 Jun 1897 - Sub Lt to be Lt
26 Jun 1908 - The. following Lieutenants have been promoted to the rank of Commander in His Majesty's Fleet
28 Jul 1916 - RNAS Wing Co promoted to Wing Capt
12th May 1917: To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order. Capt. Charles Laverock Lambe, R.N. For his valuable services in command of the R.N.A.S. unite on the Belgian Coast; he is very largely responsible for the good service in the varied duties carried out by them against the enemy
1st Jan 1918: The KING has been graciously pleased to give directions for the following promotion in and appointments to the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, in recognition of valuable services rendered during the War.
To be Additional Members of the Third Class or Companions of the said Most Distinguished Order.
Edinburgh Gazette 25th Jul 1918 - Mentions. The following Officers and Men were mentioned in despatches by Vice-Admiral Sir Roger J B. Keyes, K.C.B., C.M.G., C.V.O., D.S.O., Commanding the Dover Patrol, for distinguished services on the night of the 22nd/23rd April 1918. The following officers were mentioned by Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes for services in connection: with the preparatory work of the operations. [Zeebrugge]
2nd Nov 1918 - CORRECTIONS. The. following are the correct descriptions of Officers and other ranks of the Royal Air Force who have been recently granted decorations: Col. (T./Br.-Gen.) Charles Laverock Lambe, C.M.G., D.S.O. (Awarded Belgian Croix de Guerre in Gazette of 21st September 1918, when the surname was printed incorrectly.)
8th Nov 1918 - CONFERRED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THB FRENCH REPUBLIC. - (FOR SERVICES IN FLANDERS.) Croix de Guerre.avec Palme. [Sea Patrol]
5th Apr 1919 - CONFERRED BY HlS MAJESTY THE KlNG OF THE BELGIANS Ordre de la Couroime, Commandeur.
Edinburgh Gazette 5th Jun 1919 (the Peace Gazette): The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of His Majesty's Birthday, to give orders for the following appointments to the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, in recognition of distinguished services during the War: — To be Additional Members of the Military Division- of the Third Class, or Companions, of the said Most Honourable Order
12th Dec 1919 - DSM Conferred by the President of the USA in connection with the War.
3rd Nov 1922 - placed on half pay
5th Dec 1922 - restored to full pay from half pay
18th May 1923 - back to half pay
17th Jul 1923 - restored to full pay from half pay
11th Sep 1923 - placed on half pay scale A
17th Apr 1928 - placed on half-pay list
3rd Jun 1931 - To be an. Ordinary Member of the Military Division of the First Glass, or Knights Grand Cross, of the said Most Honourable Order
6th Oct 1931 - retires
Air Vice Marshal Lambe was born on the 10th of May 1875 he served in the Royal Navy from 1899 to 1918 and then the Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1931 he died, aged 77 on the 25th of April 1953
Commands Coastal Area (1928–31)
RAF Halton (1924–28)
No. 1 School of Technical Training (1924–28)
Midland Area (1919)
No. 5 Group (1918–19)
VII Brigade RAF (1918)
RNAS Dover Command (1916–18)
No. 5 Squadron RNAS (1915)
HMS Hermes (1914–15)
Joining the Royal Navy in 1889, Lambe attended the training ship Britannia. In 1897 he was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard HMS Magpie, taking part in Rear Admiral Rawson's punitive expedition to Benin. Lambe later served at the Naval Ordnance Department as an assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes. Promoted to Commander in 1908 he was again appointed an assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance in 1913.
In August 1914, Lambe was appointed as Captain of the seaplane carrier HMS Hermes, which sank after being torpedoed in October of the same year.
He Received Aero Club Certificate
1284 Commander Charles Laverock Lambe, R.N.
learning on a Maurice Farman Biplane, at the Royal Naval Air Station, Chingford On the 29th of May 1915. At the start of August 1916, having just been promoted to Wing Captain, Lambe took up appointment as the officer commanding the Royal Naval Air Service's Dover Command which included RNAS units at Dunkirk. During his time at the Dover Command, Lambe's aircraft carried out bombing raids on the German submarine harbours at Bruges. On 1 April 1918, Lambe was appointed General Officer Commanding the VII Brigade of the RAF. On 23 April, Lambe's VII Brigade carried out air attacks as part of the blocking of Zeebrugge and Ostend. On 9 May, Lambe was once again the air commander in a naval action, this time for the Second Ostend Raid.
In 1919 Lambe was selected by Sir Hugh Trenchard to sit on the Air Council and in 1924 he was appointed commandant of the RAF's No. 1 School of Technical Training. In 1928 Lambe was appointed Air Officer Commanding Coastal Area (the forerunner of Coastal Command) from where he retired in the rank of Air Vice Marshal in 1931. Lambe died on 25 April 1953.
Sold with Boxes for the KCB Mily, C.M.G., Commander of the Order of Leopold, Knight of the Order of the Crown
Copy Gazette entries copy Photograph in uniform
