Need help identifying Bomber Command veteran's medals

I looked around various WW2 forums to ask this question, and this one seemed the best, so here goes...

I recently found out that my girlfriend's great uncle served in Bomber Command during WW2. She has a picture of him, in which he is wearing various medal ribbons. I'm trying to pull together as much information as I can from the photo. I haven't yet asked for permission to post the whole photo, so will instead just post this part:



I'm trying to identify the various medals and badges in the photo, all of which are shown in the above cropped version. I'm fairly sure what most of them are (but would appreciate other people's opinions), and there's a one I'm very unsure about.

I've done quite a bit of reading on WW2 and specifically Bomber Command over the years so I immediately recognised the Air Gunner badge.

Due to the condition and composition of the photo I can't see any stripes on the arm of his jacket but, as he was a gunner, I think this probably means he was a Sergeant or other NCO rank.

The lower badge looks very much like the Pathfinder Force Badge. I guess this means he was quite an experienced and proficient gunner, to have served in a Pathfinder squadron? Could this mean he may have achieved a higher rank than Sergeant?

I'm pretty sure the ribbon on the left is a DFC (the diagonal stripes look too thick for a DFM). I don't know why he was awarded this. A family member recalls a story of him almost falling out of his stricken Lancaster over a target in Germany, and somehow managing to get back into the aircraft and return home alive. Without knowing the full story, it's impossible to say if that might have warranted such a medal. Maybe he was awarded it for completing his tour and continuing to go on missions.

The middle ribbon I'm guessing is a 1939–45 Star, which would of course mean the photo was taken post-war.

The right hand ribbon I'm very unsure about. It seems to consist of a light coloured broad stripe edged by a darker stripe either side. I guess there could also be another light colour inboard between the outer and inner stripes. There's also a small round pin in the middle, which looks a bit like the Battle of Britain pin that was added to the 1939-45 Star. If it weren't for that pin, the best likenesses I've found are the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (if it's two colours) and the Air Crew Europe Star (if it's actually three colours). I've not seen any examples of those two medals with a pin.

I'd be very grateful if anyone here could tell me more, and perhaps confirm or correct any of my assumptions.

Regards

Jon

 

The lower badge looks very much like the Pathfinder Force Badge. I guess this means he was quite an experienced and proficient gunner, to have served in a Pathfinder squadron? Could this mean he may have achieved a higher rank than Sergeant?

The Pathfinder Badge

A distinctive badge worn by members of Bomber Command's pathfinders squadrons, which came into force on the 15th August 1942. these highly skilled crews accurately located and illuminated targets ahead of the main bombing force.

 

I'm pretty sure the ribbon on the left is a DFC (the diagonal stripes look too thick for a DFM).
From what I can make out the DFC and DFM ribbons are much the same as to size. The DFC ribbon is of white with deep purple stripes where as the DFM is of white with violet stripes...difficult to make out with a black and white photo.

Could you give the great uncles name, one of the members of the forum might be able to find the citation and confirm the medal......

 

He is wearing the ribbons of the DFC, 1939-45 Star and Air Crew Europe Star with rosette on the latter indicating that he qualified for the Atlantic or (more likely) France and Germany clasp. He also wears the Pathfinders badge and Air Gunners brevet.

 

Thanks for the replies

From what I can make out the DFC and DFM ribbons are much the same as to size. The DFC ribbon is of white with deep purple stripes where as the DFM is of white with violet stripes...difficult to make out with a black and white photo.

Yes, hard to be sure without seeing the colours. I was looking at the photos and illustrations on Wikipedia, and comparing the stripes. The DFC's ribbon stripes are much wider than those of the DFM:

DFC
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/United_Kingdom_Distinguished_Flying_Cross_ribbon.svg

DFM

 

He is wearing the ribbons of the DFC, 1939-45 Star and Air Crew Europe Star with rosette on the latter indicating that he qualified for the Atlantic or (more likely) France and Germany clasp. He also wears the Pathfinders badge and Air Gunners brevet.

Thank you Jawan!
I hadn't seen any mention of a France and Germany clasp/rosette when I was googling for info, so will try to find some good photos of one to show the family.


I've just noticed some very worn, handwritten words and numbers on the back of the photo. I've heavily boosted the contrast in Photoshop to help read them:



Impossible to know for sure what the legible bits really mean, but one of the more distinctive numbers is '460'. Perhaps this is a reference to him serving in the mostly Australian 460 squadron (I should add that he isn't Australian, he's Welsh). The word at the bottom seems to say 'Shackleton' - maybe suggesting he served post-war on Shackleton bombers...?

 

Welcome BoforsL60

THere are a few of us gunner types around here.
Looks link you lost the link for the DFC so here is a picture

regards

Robert (son of a gunner)