Mystery photo in need of a better look!

[Flakdodger]

Hello Penine,
I can see where you are coming from as regards facial likeness. But as other members have commented, the generational thing doesn't match the 1920s dating of the mystery photo.
As for a family link of your uncle to the mystery man - who I have come to call smiling Jim - what family names are involved and are officers with decorations involved?
As for you uncle's RAF service, why not post what details you have on the Rootschat military page, or send me a private message.
RAF stuff is a passion and I will be pleased to offer any pointers.
Regards
Dave

[O1dgobbo]

Hi All

I have been worrying my little brain about the medals.  My private archive includes three medals awarded to a WW1 Private.  He got a 1914/15 star, a 1914/18 medal and a victory medal.  The ribbons for these are 14/15 star roughly equal bands red, white and blue (the red and blue fading to white at the boundary), 14/18 medal - thin blue bands at outside with very thin black band next then thin white band bounding a broad central band yellow, the victory medal has dark blue at the outside edges and fades through light blue, green yellow to a red central stripe.  If I understand the wearing instructions correctly all the medal wearers should have the 14/18 medal ribbon and victory medal at the end of their medal bars.  The right hand ends of all the medal bars are similar but I am not sure in black and white whether they do correspond to the 14/18 and victory medals.  Perhaps Flakdodger or Scrimnet could reassure us.

They have all got a medal ribbon with a thick dark central section and then light and dark bars.  Can we guess what campaign this refers to?

An earlier post identified the Flt Lt's first medal as the Military Cross.  There cannot have been many men with the MC and the AFC/DFC surely.  Does anyone know how and where we could search to get a list of such men?

Good luck

Gobbo

[Rabbit B]

Hi Gobbo,

It was me,who said that it was a DFC.  My OH recognised it from his time in the services, if you look at the links the actual ribbon which is usually worn on the uniform has the distinctive diagonal stripe!  Both these site show the same medal but the wikipedia also shows the same ribbon with a slight variation in the colour of the stripe.  These ribbon badges, can also be worn, without the medal, in civvies, on a Dinner jacket for instance.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/DistinguishedFlyingCross.htm

Or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_(United_Kingdom) this website has altered and you will need to put DFC in the search box and then click on UK!

The MC has a horizontal stripe on the ribbon see http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/mc.htm

Hope that helps.  Have a look for yourself and check it out!

Rabbit B 

[Rabbit B]

Whoops!

whatta mistaka to maka!

got the wrong box !  How can I delete this folks?

 

[O1dgobbo]

Hi Rabbit B

Sorry but I was feeling tired and lazy last night and did not bother to check who identified the MC ribbon and so credited "an earlier post" instead of Rabbit B. 

I was hoping that the combination of MC and DFC (perhaps AFC) would be fairly unusual and allow us a small list of possibles.  However, the sites that you referenced show for WW1 there were 37,081 MCs, 1,100 DFCs and 680 AFCs awarded so perhaps I am being a little too hopeful.  Nevertheless, we are looking for a man, who was a Flight Lieutenant in the 1920s, whose decorations start MC DFC/AFC (both without bars).  It is difficult with an old black and white photograph to make out the rest of his campaign medals and the very similar campaign medals of his comrades but if we did know this it would help to narrow the field a little further.

Humble apologies for the previous lack of acknowledgment

Gobbo

[Rabbit B]

Hi Gobbo,

Don't worry about it, life is too short, for all that! but I must say that you are a very nice person , to do that!

Did you look at the ribbons?  What did you think?  I am sure that he can be ID'd from his medals.  Especially as he is so dark skinned.

The credit goes to my OH not me, I just did the writing bit!

We could ask someone to blow up those medals and get a proper look at them! 

How interesting that you collect medals and how sad that people dispose of them when they are so hard won.  I have got my Dad's and there is no way I would part with them.

Rabbit B 

[Keziahemm]

Hi all

Pru posted a closer look at medals on page 4.

Have been watching this thread with interest - at least it's got my OH interested, he and his brother ex-RAF.  Both agree Flight Lieutenant with DFC, era 1920/25.  Brother-in-law suggested the location could be one of the met offices near the coast looking at the shoes of the main man - very dusty! 

The RAF Records Office at Innsworth is in the process of closing (some staff remaining) but even so contacting them may lead to some ideas on ID and location.

Susan 

[Rabbit B]

Thanks Susan,

I had forgotten about that!

Just had a look and it is the ribbons, not the actual medals enlarged, unless they were  enlarged later on!

Rabbit B 

[Keziahemm]

Oops!

Yes it's the ribbons Pru enlarged.

Hopefully with that combination he will eventually be identifiable 

 

Susan