Lot Essay
Lieutenant Sidney Hartley Pickles originally entered the French Theatre of War as an N.C.O. in the Yorkshire Hussars, sometime
thereafter being attached to the 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire
Regiment. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in late 1917, he qualified as an Observer and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in March 1918, soon afterwards being posted to No. 13 Squadron in France. Pickles subsequently completed a number of sorties prior to being wounded in a scrap with three Albatros Nieuports over Roeux on
28.3.1918 ('Observer fired on trenches but we were then attacked by three E.A. who dived and fired on us in turn. Observer replied with rear gun. Observer was hit in foot ...'). Although Pickles returned to France on recovering from his wounds, he would not again see action. Promoted to Lieutenant in October 1918, he was placed on the Unemployed List in May 1919.
thereafter being attached to the 9th Battalion, West Yorkshire
Regiment. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in late 1917, he qualified as an Observer and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in March 1918, soon afterwards being posted to No. 13 Squadron in France. Pickles subsequently completed a number of sorties prior to being wounded in a scrap with three Albatros Nieuports over Roeux on
28.3.1918 ('Observer fired on trenches but we were then attacked by three E.A. who dived and fired on us in turn. Observer replied with rear gun. Observer was hit in foot ...'). Although Pickles returned to France on recovering from his wounds, he would not again see action. Promoted to Lieutenant in October 1918, he was placed on the Unemployed List in May 1919.