Distinguished Flying Cross (GV) &; Second Award Bar, a superb 20 Victory scout ‘Ace’ all with 84 SE5a Squadron, served with and second only behind Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor V.C. Additionally one of only 8 British ‘Balloon Buster’ Aces. A lovely unmounted group, the recipient being killed shortly after discharge as a result of a motor bike accident

Distinguished Flying Cross (GV) and  Second Award Bar, 1914/15  Star (Pte. R. Fus. B.W.M., Victory, (Capt. R.A.F.) W.A. Southey. With boxes of issue for D.F.C. and the 1914/15 trio. The D.F.C. on it’s original horizontal ribbon with wearing pin and the clasp separate on a piece of ribbon and ribbon bar for the DFC. and rosette and the Star 20 Victory scout ‘Ace’ 84 (SE5a) Squadron. Served with, and second highest scorer to Beauchamp-Proctor, V.C. Survived the war only to be killed on a motor bike shortly after discharge. He was additionally one of only 8  British/Irish ‘Balloon Buster’ Aces. A pursuit shunned by most of the highest scoring Aces as posing disproportionate risk bordering on the lunatic

Distinguished Flying Cross London Gazette, 2 November 1918  Lieut. (T./Capt.) Walter Alfred Southey.    A gallant and skilful officer. On the 9th August, observing a large body of enemy troops and artillery on a road, he descended to 50 feet and bombed them, causing heavy casualties; he then engaged them with machine-gun fire, inflicting further loss and scattering them in all directions. He displays great courage in the air, having accounted for seven enemy aircraft.

Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross, London Gazette, 8 February 1919 , Lt. (A./Capt.) Walter Alfred Southey, D.F.C. An officer of ready resource whose skilful leadership is of the greatest value to his squadron. Since 23rd August Captain Southey has destroyed five enemy kite balloons and three machines, while he has also driven down two aircraft completely out of control.

The son of Walter & Emma Southey, Walter Alfred Southey was born, St Olave, Southwark 29 April 1897 joined the army in February 1915 serving with the Royal Fusiliers. He was promoted to temporary 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) with the Royal Flying Corps on 5 August 1916. On 11 April, 1917 he joined 48 Squadron as a Bristol Fighter pilot. Some four weeks later he was brought down and wounded seriously enough to be struck off strength until November, 1917.  He was reassigned to 84  (SE5a) Squadron on 4 April 1918, a somewhat elite squadron commanded by Sholto-Douglas and which produced 25 Aces in the course of the war, most notably, Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, V.C. Southey  became a flight commander during the summer of 1918, he narrowly escaped capture when he inadvertently landed his aircraft behind enemy lines. Flying the S.E.5a, Southey was credit with twenty victories. He opened his score on 2/5/1918 sending down an Albatross V East of Abancourt and later that month destroying a Fokker near Abancourt. June opened witha Rumpler west of Moreil, this shared with Beauchamp-Proctor and on the 16th sent down a Fokker D.V11. August saw 5 victories, September 3 and October, 6, his 19th being an LVG 3 destroyed at La Queue de Boue on the 28th and two days later closed his score with a Fokker D.V11 destroyed at Foret de Nouvion.

In September/ October Southey had a straight run of five Observation balloons destroyed becoming one of only  eight British ‘Balloon Buster’ Aces. One thing separating most balloon busters from regular fighter aces was that many of the war’s most famous aces actively refused to attack balloons at all. Manfred von Richthofen never attacked a balloon. Top-scoring British ace Edward ‘Mick’ Mannock scored his first ‘kill’ by destroying a balloon, but found the job so dangerous that he never attacked another. French ace Rene Fonck, top-scoring Allied ace of the war with 75 confirmed kills, never shot down a balloon. The highest British scorer was Henry Woollett with 11 of his 35. The balloons were hydrogen filled, defended by troop ground fire, anti-aircraft and enemy aircraft. The technique was to attack with phosphorous bullets making one run only, close enough that the bullets remained incendiary but not too close if the balloon went up, often flying behind enemy lines and approaching from the rear. Once loaded with phosphorous the Convention of that time forbade engaging ground troops or enemy aircraft. Notwithstanding ground troops took a particularly dim view of aircraft brought down carrying phosphorous and reputedly pilots were on occasions summarily executed. The erratic, but very effective American Ace, Frank Luke, was brought down wounded behind the lines whilst attacking a balloon. German reports state that when surrounded and ordered to surrender Luke drew his pistol so was immediately shot dead.

Southey was discharged in the spring of 1919. He had little time to enjoy peace or wear his awards. Still only aged 22 by the time of his death he was killed on 17 April, 1920 losing control of his motor bike on the Footscray Road, New Eltham, Kent. He was residing at that time at Deptford, Kent.

His score list comprised

1. 02 May 1918 1450 84 S.E.5a (D5399) Albatros D.V (OOC) E of Abancourt

2. 16 May 1918 1620 84 S.E.5a (D5399) Fokker DR.I (DES) NNW of Abancourt

3. 05 Jun 1918 1235 84 S.E.5a (D5399) Rumpler C (DES)  200 yds W of Moreuil

4. 18 Jun 1918 1055 84 S.E.5a (B8399) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Abancourt

5. 01 Aug 1918 1005 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Fokker D.VII (DES) Suzanne aerodrome

6. 07 Aug 1918 0955 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Rumpler C (DES) E of Arvillers

7. 10 Aug 1918 1800 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Péronne-Brie

8. 17 Aug 1918 0900 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Estrées

9. 25 Aug 1918 0945 84 S.E.5a (C1834) LVG C (OOC) 2 N of Foucaucourt

10. 29 Aug 1918 1445 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Fokker D.VII (OOC) W of Athies

11. 03 Sep 1918 0615 84 S.E.5a (C1834) C (DESF) 3 S of Manancourt-Nurlu Road

12. 03 Sep 1918 0645 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Balloon (DES) Fins

13. 03 Sep 1918 1530 84 S.E.5a (C1834) Balloon (DES) N of Fins

14. 14 Sep 1918 1030 84 S.E.5a (E6008) Balloon (DES) Gonnlieu

15.14 Oct 1918 0700-0900 84 S.E.5a (E4071) Balloon (DES) E of Mont d’Origny

16. 22 Oct 1918 0915 84 S.E.5a (F5625) Balloon (DES) Prisches

17. 23 Oct 1918 1115 84 S.E.5a (F5625) Fokker D.VII (DES) S of Fontaine

18. 27 Oct 1918 0910 84 S.E.5a (E4071) Fokker D.VII (OOC) Esqueheries

19. 28 Oct 1918 0750 84 S.E.5a (E5963) LVG C (DES) La Queue de Boue

20. 30 Oct 1918 0930 84 S.E.5a (H685) Fokker D.VII (DES) Foret de Nouvion

A superlative scout Aces group