DFC Ribbon bar

[grndevil44]

Picked up this ribbon bar recently, wondered if this chap saw action in the North West Frontier and awarded the Indian Medal (green blue green) or if this was gained through service pre WW1
as I am writing this I am thinking it might be impossible to tell, I see the fellow had a mention in Dispatches and would think this is related to the award of the DFC ?

if anyone could help would be greatly appreciated

[BrentNunns]

The DFC and WW1 mention in Dispatches ribbons is something you seldom see, but on there own will indeed be impossible to identify who the original owner was.

I am thinking the (1908) India General Service may narrow down the field a bit, but unfortunately it will be speculative at best as the "IGS" ribbon does not include the award bar that was issued with the original medal.

If it was me, I would start researching officers who were awarded the "Waziristan 1925" bar to the India General Service medal (1908), as these were issued only to members of the Royal Air Force, and then cross reference with those who were awarded the DFC and WW1 mention in Dispatches.

[grndevil44]

Hi Brent

thanks for that, I had myself wondered if it was anything to do with Pinks War
and that period 1925

this is a little bit I just pulled off wikipedia.....

The Medal with the Waziristan 1925 bar was awarded to only 46 officers and 214 men of the Royal Air Force who took part in Pink's War. It is by far the rarest bar given with an India General Service Medal and was only awarded after the then Chief of the Air Staff Sir John Salmond succeeded in overturning the War Office decision not to grant a medal for Pink's War.


thanks

[BrentNunns]

John, I am inclined to think that the mention in dispatches are not related to the DFC, what I can say for sure is that the positioning of the MID on the Victory medal suggests the MID was awarded before the 10th August 1920.

[grndevil44]

ah yes I see now, just read the MiD on wikipedia and see it would be seperate from the DFC

was just scanning through the pilots of No 60 Squadron, there are a few ace's there and DFC winners

if I could only get a list of the 46 officers as mentioned,

[BrentNunns]

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issu...pplements/7601

[grndevil44]

great link ! thank you very much

Robert Churton Savery could be a possibility...

[BrentNunns]

John my suggesting searching the "Waziristan 1925" clasp (For operations between 9th March 1925, and 1st May 1925) was only a starting point, to truly do your ribbon bar justice, you will also need to research RAF officers who earned the following clasps to the India General Service Medal (1908)

The "Waziristan 1921 – 1924" clasp (For operations between 21st December 1921, and 31st March 1924)
The "Waziristan 1919 – 1921" clasp, and also the "Afghanistan N.W.F 1919" clasp.

Just to complicate things, it is worth mentioning that officers who qualified for both the Waziristan 1921 – 1924 clasp and the Waziristan 1925 clasp were given the option of choosing which one they preferred to wear, and were not entitled to receive both clasps to the medal.

Fortunately all claims for the India General Service Medal (1908) for RAF Officers and airmen were all approved by the Air Council, so somewhere in RAF records complete lists will exist of RAF personnel who were issued the IGS medal clasps.

The problem is where are these records kept today?

To help point you in the right direction I can supply where the original records for the India General Service Medal (1908) were kept.

IGS medal applications for officers were sent to the Secretary of the Air Ministry, which at the time was located at Adastral House, Kingsway, London, WC2.

IGS medal applications for airmen were sent to the Officer in charge of Records, RAF, Ruislip, Uxbridge, Middlesex.

It may seem a daunting task, but I think that with a bit of effort you could narrow it down to a handful of candidates who could have worn your ribbon bar.

[grndevil44]

you have been very helpful Brent ! thank you! am a novice when it comes to these things