My Second Cousin Flying Officer Geoffrey Bernard Herbert King 115277 RAFVR born 18 August 1921 joined the RAF in May 1940 and trained as a pilot and went to 19 OTU and flew his first bombing raid (Operation Millenium II) as a pilot on the third 1000 bomber to Bremen 25/26 June 1942 in a 19 OTU Whitley after he finished his course at 19 OTU he was posted to 102 Squadron on 11 July 1942 along with his navigator Pilot Officer Thomas Henry Follett 48379. After his conversion to Halifaxes he flew on his first raid with 102 Squadron on 23/24 July 1942 to Duisberg. The squadron then moved to Pocklington and he flew a further 14 missions - On his 16th mission to to Stuttgart on 22 November 1942 flying a Halifax Mk II W.7914 DY-A he and all his crew were killed crashing at Hangest Sur Somme in France. He and his crew were all buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. I have his RAF Service record but there is no mention of any medal entitlement. Was he entitled to any medals?
Gives the parameters - Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility Dont take this as gospel but I would have thought minimum: Air Crew Europe Star War Medal 1939 to 1945 Ask the Medal Office or phone them and send a copy of his records Contact the MOD Medal Office You can contact the Medals Office in writing or via email. DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk MOD Medal Office Room G36 Innsworth House Imjin Barracks Gloucester GL3 1HW Telephone enquiries are handled by the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC). Freephone (UK only): 0800 085 3600 Telephone (from overseas): *44 141 224 3600 TD
1939-45 star Also entitled to the new bomber command clasp Write to the medal office and they will tell you what was issued or if never issued issue them to his nok
I have contacted the RAF Historic team/Ministry of Defence Medal Office, with all the information and I got a reply on 19 June 2019 asking me to fill in the application form which I did immediately so they could commence the assessment process. However they have told me it will possibly take several months.
QUOTE="researchingreg, post: 828302, member: 48184"] I have his RAF Service record but there is no mention of any medal entitlement. Was he entitled to any medals?[/QUOTE] I’ll quote this from Wikipedia, regarding the Air Crew Star, for ease: “Personnel whose required qualifying service period was terminated prematurely by their death, disability or wounding due to service, were awarded the Star regardless of service duration.” And his “premature death” would make him eligible for the other appropriate medals and clasp, too. They would be the 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Star, Defence Medal and War Medal, plus the recently introduced Bomber Command Clasp. Best, Marcus
I have now had a letter from the M.O.D. re his medals which were issued to his nominated NOK after the war. Medals awarded: 1. 1939-45 War Medal with Clasp "Bomber Command" 2. Aircrew Europe Star 3. War Medal 1939-45.
