NAM.1984-04-30-19

‘The Late Flight Sub-Lieut. R. A. J. Warneford, V.C.’, cigarette card, 1915. Cigarette card, No 23 from the 1st series of ‘The Great War Victoria Cross Heroes’, a set of 25 cigarette cards, issued by Gallaher Limited, Belfast and London, 1915. Posthumous portrait of Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald Alexander John Warneford (1891-1915), Royal Naval Air Service after a photograph by Wyndham, Paris, France. The reverse of the card summarises Warneford’s act of gallantry. It records that Warneford, ‘Won this honour for brilliantly attacking a Zeppelin, June 7th, 1915. He rose above the enemy craft and dropped six bombs causing the airship to explode. His monoplane capsized, and although able to right it, he had to alight in enemy territory, but escaped. He was accidently killed at Buc Aerodrome, 17th June, 1915.’. Warneford attacked LZ39 on 17 May 1915 and LZ37 on 7 June 1915. On the latter attack Warneford was flying a Morane-Saulnier Type L aircraft. Warneford died of injuries sustained when his aircraft crashed during a test flight on 17 June 1915. One of 103 cigarette cards, nd. From ‘The Great War Victoria Cross Heroes’, a set of cigarette cards (200 in full set) issued by Gallaher Limited, 1915-1916. Associated with World War One (1914-1918).

World War One, Air Operations (1914-1918)