Militaria

Lot 3784    SESSION 13 (2.30PM THURSDAY 21ST NOV)    Militaria

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

GREAT BRITAIN, WWI-1920s, RAF blue-grey woollen uniform jacket and trousers with button up and tie-down lower legs for wearing with high boots, with accompanying hat, also a separate RAF hat badge in bronze, all attributed to Lieutenant W.C.Pruden; together with a collection of b&w photos, many in albums and includes small albums (9x11.5cm) and (12x16cm) each with 38 photos of military and aviation items, another album (13.5x19cm) with 78 photos and written inside of album in 7-lines, 'Photos of Middle East when/Royal Air Force defended the/Oil Pipe line for Britain/W.J.(sic)C.Pruden was a Pilot/this is his album of places he/saw & flew over also personnel he/knew & made friends with', a fourth album (19.5x25.5cm) with 50 photos of military sports activities in camp, also another 78 photos and negatives loose in a box for various military, aviation and Middle East scenes, a few post WWI and a few marked 'Lieutenant W.C.Pruden RAF', also a Kodak large pack of negatives marked, 'W.C.Pruden & friends in (illegible) Air Force men who saved Oil pipe line', other packs of negatives marked as family W.Pruden. The uniform with a few small mothed spots and with a few tears to the inside lining of the jacket, also some dirt marks, otherwise fine - very fine. (lot)

William Colin Pruden died at Wellington, NSW on 10 January 1951 at the age of 52. He was born on 12 September 1898 in Portsmouth, England and at the age of 16 enlisted in the Army and for a short time was attached to forces defending the British coast from unexpected German attacks. He soon transferred to the Royal Air Force and completed pilot training at Croydon. During his term in the RAF he was on one occasion dropping propaganda leaflets when his plane was shot down over France by a member of the famous Baron von Richthofen's Circus. He and his observer were captured, court martialled and sentenced to death for propaganda distribution. Fortunately, the British government intervened and threatened that if Pruden and his observer were shot there would be a reprisal on German prisoners held in England. As a result, the sentence was commuted and the pair spent two years as POWs in Germany.

After the war, Pruden took a refresher course in flying and was sent to assist the occupation forces in the Rhine. While there he won the RAF Championship for the 400 metres running race held in July 1920. He was later sent to Constantinople where he was engaged in defending the British oil lines in Persia. In 1925 he migrated to Australia and purchased a grazing property near that of his sister in Armidale, NSW. Due to his inexperience he lost everything. He then obtained a position with the Local Government body at Campbelltown and later was promoted to Deputy Clerk at Coolamon and continued on developing his career in local government. At the outbreak of WWII he enlisted in the RAAF (Service No.267711) but was denied a release by the Local Government Department. He was however appointed an officer in the Citizen Air Force in June 1944 and in charge of the Air Training Corps in Wellington. He enlisted in the Army (Service No.N427337) on 19 May 1942 and at his date of discharge on 25 July 1944 was a Corporal with 25Bn of the Volunteer Defence Corps and for a time was in charge of training signallers. William Pruden continued in his civilian career and also took an active interest in community activities. After his funeral took place on January 11 his remains were interred in the Methodist section of the Wellington Cemetery.

With a copy of his obituary.