Flying Officer JOHN PERCIVAL MORKAM (Northants Regt)
For more than six months, including the coldest and most inclement portion
of the Arctic winter, this officer has displayed marked qualities of good leadership.
In May, rgig, great efforts were made to prepare a forward summer
aerodrome, but not with much success, and owing to the unsuitability of the
available machines all attempts to rise from it failed—in one of these attempts
at rising Flying Officer Morkam's machine was smashed and he himself
severely injured. Notwithstanding these difficulties this officer, under
urgent necessity, voluntarily undertook a reconnaissance flight of three
hours over unknown and unmapped country, and returned with very valuable
information, his petrol being absolutely exhausted on alighting. The nature
of the country is such tha t no landing was possible anywhere on the return
journey until his own base was reached. (" Syren " Force, North Russia.)