Picture the scene:

It’s the 28th September 1918 and 203rd Squadron RAF (recently commanded by Canadian Fighter Ace Raymond Collishaw) has just lifted off on patrol at 8.30am. Intermittent rain and low clouds limit their visibility over the area of Hem Langlet, France. Suddenly, 16 Fokker DVII of Justa 2 attack without warning, and five minutes later a young NCO pilot, flying a Sopwith Camel, is killed by one of the German fighter pilots, Leutnant Gerhard Bassenge. It was his fifth kill, making him a fighter ‘ACE’. I have recently found out that Gerhard Bassenge was in the same squadron as the 'Red Baron' Manfred von Richthofen, Jasta 2.

Offered here is a unique and very rare memorabilia collection of original documents and photographs of the young man who lost his life in this climatic and tragic encounter just 6 weeks before the end of hostilities.

With supporting information and research this collection is testament to one of the very few ‘Non Commissioned’ Officers that flew and fought in the most famous of the WWI aircraft, the Sopwith Camel.

With this collection you can completely chart the early career of William N Mayger who joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1914, was awarded one of the first Military Medal’s (MM) for bravery in 1916 and at the time of his death, aged just 21, had been promoted to Sgt Mechanic flying Sopwith Camel F3220.

• Original 'Loose Leaf Notebook' for William Mayger, 1916 - 1918
• Soldiers' Small Book, 1914 - 1918
• Air Force Memorandum No.2, 1918

• Photograph - Air Mechanic William Mayger, 1915
• Photograph - Corporal William Mayger MM & Friend, 1916
• Photograph - Corporal William Mayger [2 Views], 1915
• Postcard - War Memorial, Holy Trinity Church, Hounslow, 1920