Plea to buy back war medals
Flying Corps hero fought ‘Red Baron’
A Bath woman is trying raise £7,000 to buy back her great-grandfather’s military medals, which were awarded for his bravery during the First World War.
Reg Tollerfield served as a Royal Flying Corps observer during the conflict and while on a photo reconnaissance mission near Le Hameau, his squadron was spotted by the “Red Baron”.
He took on the infamous German pilot, distracting him with gunfire and allowing the rest of his squadron to get to safety.
Following the battle Mr Tollerfield was awarded four medals; the Military Medal, 1914 Star, Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
The heirlooms were left to his grandson, Gerry, but disappeared in 1999 and were reported stolen. It was not until this year that they resurfaced online.
Mel Rich, 40, Gerry’s daughter, said it was her father’s dying wish that she get the medals back.
“He was just so sad to have lost them and it would mean fulfilling my promise to my dad to get them back,” she said.
Before his death over Easter, Gerry suffered with dementia, but when Mrs Rich told him she had tracked down the medal set, his face “lit up”.
“I just knew he was still in there, and he understood me,” she said.
The family cannot legally establish ownership of the medals, as the record of their theft has been destroyed.
So Mrs Rich has launched a Gofundme page to raise the £7,000 needed to buy them back.
Mr Tollerfield also received two rare cap cloths for his role in the Royal Flying Corps Observers, only a handful of which were ever made.
However, these have become separated from the medals and are still missing.
Helped by the police, Mrs Rich found the new owner of the medals through www.medal-locator.com and has paid a deposit to reserve them.
So far she has raised £1,509 and put down a deposit with the seller.
You can donate to the fund here: https:// uk. gofundme. com/ f/ grandad-reg039smedals.
About Reg Tollerfield
Born in Parkstone, Dorset, in 1896, Reginald Tollerfield was a car mechanic and chauffeur before enlisting in the Royal Flying Corps in 1914.
He started out as a second class air mechanic (2/AM) and was promoted to Corporal on April 12, 1917. The story of his “great gallantry” was well-documented at the time.
As an observer and aerial gunner, it was his job to take photos behind enemy lines and shoot down any hostile machines, while the pilot flew the plane.
Just 10 days after his promotion, while on a photo reconnaissance mission near Le Hameau, his squadron was spotted by “The Red Baron”; the Great War’s deadliest German pilot.
Mr Tollerfield’s side had six planes to the Baron’s 14 and four of his friends were shot down. With Captain Manning flying the plane, Mr Tollerfield took on the Baron with gunfire, distracting him and allowing the rest of his squadron to recross the lines.
Despite being wounded in the hand, he kept firing until all his team were safe, then he and Cpt Manning returned to base, their craft’s “engine damaged and controls shot through”.
Following this daring battle, Mr Tollerfield was promoted to Sergeant, and the officer in charge of his squadron, Major Mcclean, recommended him for the military medals.
“Corporal Tollerfield has always behaved with great coolness and gallantry on reconnaissance and in combats with hostile aircraft,” the major wrote.
As a result, Mr Tollerfield received the medals; four of just 243 awarded to members of the flying services during the First World War. While having his wound dressed daily, he continued as an observer and qualified as a pilot a year later. He went on to join the RAF, where he stayed until discharge in 1922.
He died in 1969, aged 73.
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