The Tom May Collection -British Groups

Lot 2069    Session 7 (11.30am Wednesday)    The Tom May Collection -British Groups

Estimate $1,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $850

GROUP OF SIX TO TEST PILOT: 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45. 1932 Pte. R.Stocken C. of Lond. Yeo. on first medal, 2/Lieut. R.H.Stocken, R.F.C. on second and third medals, last three medals unnamed as issued. All named medals impressed. Swing mounted, good very fine - extremely fine.

Together with Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators neck badge of office in gilt and enamel, by Thomas Fattorini Limited, Birmingham and in his official case; circular cardboard pass no.244 to RAF Base, Calshot for Schneider Trophy Race 1929, named to Captain R.H.Stocken, Gloster Aircraft Co; The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom circular cardboard member pass with gilt lettering for 1938 year, named to Captain R.H.Stocken; circular cardboard pass for N.F.S., London Air Park, Club Enclosure, unnamed; a variety of other documents some of which include invitation to Flight Lieut R.Stocken to attend a luncheon and a menu for the same luncheon held on 17 July 1929 for 'Southern Cross' Australia to London flight with guests Squadron-Leader C.E.Kingsford-Smith, Flight-Lieutenant C.T.P.Ulm, H.A.Litchfield Esq, and T.H.Williams Esq with a photo of the four on the cover of the menu; invitation no.144 from Royal Aeronautical Society to Conversazione at Science Museum 25 July 1929 to celebrate 25th Anniversary of the First Aeroplane Flight across the English Channel; invitation no.71 to International Aero Exhibition Closing Banquet, 27 July 1929; dinner invitation from Mayor and Mayoress of Gloucester to meet Sir Alan Cobham, 26 September 1929; menu for Gloster Aircraft Co dinner at Heston, January 1930 with photo of Gloster A.S.31 on back; menu for Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators of the British Empire dinner held 17 December 1931 to welcome H.L.Hinkler, C.E.Kingsford-Smith. J.A.Mollison, A.H.Orlebar, C.W.A.Scott and G.H.Stainforth. Wing Commander Reginald Herbert 'Rex' Stocker FRAeS, MIAeE, born 11 June 1893; educated at Streatham Grammar School, St Ann's and Paris; joined the City of London Yeomanry in 1912 serving until 1916 and then applied for transfer to RFC; after flying training he was posted to No.56 Squadron as a pilot in 1917; in 1919 after the war Rex became a pilot and Assistant Air AttachÇ in Paris; during 1921 and 1923 he was test and delivery pilot with A.D.C Croydon; 1923-1927 he was an Instructor at CFS, Uphavon; in his book, 'C.F.S. Birthplace of Air Power', pp102-103, author John W.R.Taylor writes of the infamous and sometimes hilarious Student vs Instructor landing competition part of which required that the aircraft engine had to be stopped at a height of 1,500 ft above the word Uphavon that was in chalk letters dug into the grass of the aerodrome about 150 yards from the tarmac. The pilot then had to make an engine-off landing with the object being to stop as close as possible to the letter U. Understandably there were many minor crashes and near disasters, one of which included Australian Flying Officer 'Nobby' Clarke one of the instructors who was laughing so much because he had never seen anything so hilarious until he walked around the other side of a barn, which one of the planes bounced off, only to find one of his students and his plane sitting on top of Clarke's car. In this competition the best individual performance was assessed to be Flying Officer Rex Stocken whose 504K finished nine inches or so from the target letter U; in 1927 Stocker became a Test Pilot, High Speed Flight, Felixstowe; 1927-1929 he worked as Assistant London Representative of Gloster Aircraft Co; 1930-1931 he was Personal Assistant to General Manager, de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd; in 1931 he started his own business as a Test Pilot and consultant; 1936-1939 and 1947 he was Organiser, I.of M. (Isle of Man) International Air Races; recalled to RAF from August 1939 until January 1947 when he retired at the rank of Wing Commander; Past Deputy Master, Guild of Air Pilots & Air Navigators (1938-1944) (Stocken joined the Guild 18 November 1929 as a Founder Member, becoming a member of the Court of the Guild on 26 November 1929 and remained on the Court until being appointed Deputy Master in 1938. In that same year, the Grand Master was HRH The Duke of Kent and the Master was The Most Hon The Marquess of Londonderry KG, PC, MVO. During World War II the Guild office was closed and its affairs were handled by a Wartime Committee, under the chairmanship of Wing Commander R.H.Stocken, invested with full executive authority. In 1956 Letters Patent were received granting Livery to the Guild. Wing Commander Stocken was granted the Livery in January 1957 and remained a Liveryman until his death in 1983); Member of Council, A.R.B., 1937-1948; Pilot's Private and Commercial Licence No.435. With research.