Orders, Decorations & Medals - Gallipoli

Lot 3626    Session 12 (11.30am Thursday 26 March)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Gallipoli

Estimate $35,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $35,000

GROUP OF SIX TO ONLY ANZAC IN THE AIR OVER GALLIPOLI: Distinguished Service Order (GVR); 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 with MID; Africa Service Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45. First medal unnamed as issued, Lieut. A.H.K.Jopp 3/F.A. Bde. A.I.F. on second medal, Major A.H.K.Jopp A.I.F. on third and fourth medals, 3239 A.H.K.Jopp on fifth and sixth medals. All named medals impressed. Toned extremely fine.

Together with matching set of swing mounted miniature medals; Schools of the Empire Match silver medallion, reverse impressed, 'Brisbane/Grammar School/1907' and edge inscribed, 'A.H.K.Jopp'; case of issue for DSO by Garrard & Co Ltd; museum packets for medals and receipt dated 26 May 1978 and signed by Colonel I. Chauvel for collection of medals from Durban Museum and Art Gallery, also newspaper clipping and colour photo; a presentation silver tea strainer, hallmarked for Birmingham 1938, by Barker Bros Ltd, side inscribed, 'To/Mrs Keith-Jopp/From 4th Heavy Battery/Aug. 1940'.

DSO: LG 1/1/1917, p28, posn 36; CAG 29/6/1917, p1389, posn 41. Recommendation: Meritorious service and devotion to duty while in command of the 103rd Battery, from 1/3/16 to 1/9/16, while the Division was holding the line at Sailly 20/4/16 to 2/7/16 and during the operations on the Somme including the capture of Pozieres 20th July to 23rd August.

The 103rd Battery was a new battery, and Major Jopp was responsible for its organization and training which was very thoroughly carried out.

MID (First occasion): LG 28/1/16, p1207, posn 23; CAG 6/4/1916, p861, posn 24.

MID (second occasion): LG 4/1/1917, p254, posn 33; CAG 4/1/1917, p254, posn 33.

Arthur Harold Keith Jopp, born 01May1890 at Sydney; Enl.18Aug1914 at rank of Lieutenant; previous service of over 6 years in RAA; Emb.25Sep1914 on A22 Rangatira; 3 Fd Arty Bde and promoted to Captain; to Gallipoli 04Apr1915; seconded to 3 Sqn RNAS for service as Observer; transfer 4 Div Arty 27Feb1916; appointed Major 12Mar1916; to 3 Fd Arty Bde 21Jan1917; RTA 09Oct1917; Appt in Aust 22Dec1917; Post WWI Jopp joined the National Bank of South Africa Durban, Natal and was working there when WWII started and he saw service as Officer Commanding the South African Coastal Defences.

Arthur Keith-Jopp and all family members used the hyphenated surname of Keith-Jopp, however when Arthur joined the Army his surname was recorded as Jopp and this is the name on all his medals and records. In the following brief outline of his air service, his name is shown in both formats, namely as Jopp and also as Keith-Jopp.

Arthur Harold Keith-Jopp was Australia's sole representative in the Air over Gallipoli.

When Australia remembers the sacrifices and hardships endured on the Gallipoli Peninsula, little thought if any is ever given to that of the war in the air over our trenches. That may largely be due to the fact that the Australian Flying Corps was in its infancy and would not become fully operational until later in the war. The sole responsibility of the air over Gallipoli fell to the Royal Navy and in particular the newly formed number 3 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service.

Due to the large numbers of Australians on the peninsula, it made sense to the commander of No3 Sqn, Wing Commander Samson to put an Australian artillery observer in the sky. Commander Samson recorded the following 'Captain Jopp, an Australian who was a great fellow, usually came with me. As well as Helles and the Fleet we had Anzac to look after; and we did a lot of artillery co-operation for the Australians registering their heavy batteries on the Turk's guns, Jopp was the observer whom I detailed to specialise on Anzac; he had an eye like a hawk and it wasn't long before he had discovered most of the guns that were causing trouble.' Jopp also spotted warships onto enemy guns that were bursting shrapnel over the Nek in the August Offensive. He left no record of what he felt looking down on that tiny battlefield.

Whilst in the air Captain Keith-Jopp was confronted by many enemy planes with Sir Charles Rosenthal noting that Capt. Jopp already 'had four encounters with enemy Taube's (planes) by the middle of August 1915.' One of these encounters was also recorded by Commander Bell-Davies of Victoria Cross (Gallipoli) fame of whom Captain Keith-Jopp was observing for, stating that on the 10th August 'we met a German Ettrich (sic) Taube over Anzac. The pilot did not see us and I was able to come close behind him. Jupp (sic) who had a rifle, started shooting and must have made good practice, for at about the fifth shot I saw the pilots face as he turned to look behind before going into a vertical dive. We heard afterwards that the Australians had full view of the encounter from their trenches. Convinced that we had shot down the German, they all started cheering.'

Over the duration of Captain Keith-Jopp's service in Gallipoli a good many more of his exploits were recorded, including taking part in the bombing of ships in Ak Bashi Liman. Commander Samson reported 'A terrible panic occurred, the tugs that had got Dhows in tow cut them off and steamed for the Asiatic shore. The gangs on the beach, who were now well used to aeroplane bombs, dropped everything and fled to the hills. I was trying to get a hit on the two steamers which were still at anchor. The eighth shot hit one. Jopp said "What correction must I signal?" I said, "Report O.K." (hit), the ninth shell hit the second steamer.

Among the many gems published in reports, the following illustrates the lengths to which these pioneers adapted; 'To extend the range of his aeroplanes Charles (Samson) installed long-range petrol tanks which saw Keith Jopp conducting mid-air refuelling using a rubber hose and a petrol tin!'

IIt was not long before Captain Keith-Jopp was wounded, Commander Harold Kerby (later Air Vice Marshall) wrote about the incident, 'Commander Samson, with Captain Keith Jopp as observer, started away this morning on early reconnaissance and over Suvla the machine was struck by an anti-aircraft shell and Jopp was wounded. They managed to get down safely, landing on the salt lake, but the machine was destroyed by Turkish shelling. Keith Jopp is in a hospital ship.'

However this did not stop Captain Keith-Jopp and before long was in flight again as Commander Samson wrote, 'I despatched Thomson with Jopp as his observer to see what they could do to the large camp I had located at Kara Bunar; right thoroughly they stirred things up with two 12lb and four 20lb bombs. As they approached, the Turks began to stream out of the tents; but some were too late. One 12lb fell amongst the tents and demolished three of them; the second one fell amongst a large body of men running to seek shelter in a gully. Jopp observed that the explosion killed a great many.'

By the end of December our troops had departed the peninsula and Captain Keith-Jopp resumed his role with the Australian Artillery. For his efforts in the air over Gallipoli, Captain Keith-Jopp was mentioned in despatches and promoted to Major. With promotion came command of his own Artillery Battery (103rd) in France, where he was to go on to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order. When the Second World War was declared Major Keith-Jopp, away from home working for the Bank of South Africa, enlisted again and was placed in charge of the South African coastal defences.

There seems little doubt that had Keith-Jopp been under direct Australian Command whilst 'in the air' over Gallipoli, he would have unquestionably been recommended for a higher award than a 'MID' as the RNAS pilots all received decorations (DSCs).

This collection is unique and of the highest importance being the only Australian uniform in the air in a fully active role during the entire Gallipoli campaign. A man recognised for his ability among his peer group and often selected by his boss, Commander Samson, to accompany him on many dangerous missions.

Also, interestingly, Major Keith-Jopp was the brother-in-law of General Sir Henry George Chauvel GCMG, KCB.

Bibliography: The only Australian Officer to fly during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 was Captain A. H. K. Jopp who served in No. 3 Squadron of the RNAS from 16.7.1915 to 19.12.1915 (AWM25 367/146); Samson, Air Commodore Charles Rumney, Fights and Flights, Ernest Benn Ltd.Lon.; General Rosenthal's Diary Of The Great War 25 September 1914-31 December 1915. Mitchell Librarian Public Library Macquarie Street, Sydney; Dolan, Hugh. Gallipoli Air War, Macmillan Publishers Aus., 2013.

With research.