Soviet Order of Lenin for Wing Commander

[JapanX]

Check out this photo

[JapanX]

This happy chap is Wing Commander Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood.

It is March 31, 1942.

Commander is in the garden of USSR embassy in London right after receiving his Order of Lenin

# 7382 for his tour in Russia.

In 1941, when Sector Commander of 9 Group, Fighter Command, he was promoted Wing Commander in charge of the newly-formed 151 Wing, with orders to take Hurricanes to Vaenga, North Russia. The operation, to defend Murmansk and to introduce Soviet aircrew and pilots to the difficult conditions and in extreme cold, the Wing achieved its primary objectives and more, including fifteen kills, and a number of probable kills, to its credit.

Edited August 23, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood was born on 13th July 1905 in Wellington, New Zealand as the son of Henry Lionel Ramsbottom-Isherwood and Lilian Catherine Kelly.

He served with the New Zealand Rifles as Second Lieutenant from 1924 until 1930, before moving to the

United Kingdom to join the RAF. After his basic training het was send to India in the late 1930's to return to England in 1935 and joining the No. 54 Squadron. Later he served with No. 35 Squadron. At the time he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1936, he served with the Staff of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A. & A.E.E.), where he tested new planes for the RAF.

In 1941 he became Sector Commander with No. 9 Group, fighter Command. In 1941 and 1942 he led the No. 151 Wing as its Wing Commander in the Soviet Union.

When he returned to England he was appinted A.O.C. of RAF Church Stanton, Valley and Woodvale between 1942 and 1944 and then was send to India. Here he commanded the No. 342 Wing in Burma and South-east Asia.

He stayed in South-East Asia until 1947. After this he became Commanding Officer of RAF West Malling.

Ramsbottom-Isherwood was killed on 24th April 1950, when he crashed in bad weather with his Gloster Meteor IV. Wreckage pieces of his plane were found until in 2003.

Promotions:

12th July 1930: Pilot Officer;

12th January 1932: Flying Officer;

12th January 1936: Flight Lieutenant;

1st October 1938: Squadron Leader;

1st December 1940: Wing Commander (temporary);

1st January 1944: Group Captain (temporary);

17th January 1944: Wing Commander (war subst.);

1st October 1946: Wing Commander.

[JapanX]

Luckily for us in early 2009, his only child, India, who was 10 when he died, was clearing out her home in Rottingdean in Sussex, when she came across a plastic bag containing his decorations, including the Order of Lenin.

Soon (naturally ) she put it up for auction (together with other awards and miniatures) at Morton&Eden in London, where it fetched £46,000.

Here it is

[JapanX]

Close up

Yep, this is later type (type 5) - not the one we saw in the hands of Commander in post #1 ;)

[JapanX]

Miniatures (miniature order of Lenin - you don`t see this every day )

[JapanX]

First page of the Order Book

[JapanX]

It is believed that there were only four awards of the Order of Lenin to British Empire recipients during the WWII. All were for Squadron Service in Russia with 151 Wing and were announced on 27 November 1941 (having been upgraded from Orders of the Red Banner, which had been proposed a week earlier).

The recipients were:

1) Wing Commander Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood, D.F.C., A.F.C.;

2) Squadron Leader Anthony Garforth Miller, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force;

3) Acting Squadron Leader Anthony Hartwell Rook, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force;

4) Flight Sergeant (later Pilot Officer) Charlton Haw, D.F.M., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

The original awards, as presented by the Soviet ambassador Ivan Mayski at a London reception in March 1942, were as we know "screwback`s" type. Obviously shortly after the introduction of the "suspended" type the pieces of all four recipients were exchanged for a new type (quite amazing fact considering that many soviet recipients have never got their replacements!)

Edited August 23, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Here comes Squadron Leader Anthony Garforth Miller medal bar ;)

[JapanX]

Another photo of Henry Neville Gynes Ramsbottom-Isherwood that was on March 31, 1942 in russian embassy

[JapanX]

+ info about serial numbers

Acting Squadron Leader Anthony Hartwell Rook, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force - Lenin with serial number 7382

Squadron Leader Anthony Garforth Miller, D.F.C., Auxiliary Air Force - Lenin with serial number 7383

Flight Sergeant (later Pilot Officer) Charlton Haw, D.F.M., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - Lenin with serial number 7384

[paul wood]

Ah happy memories.

Paul

[JapanX]

Do you mean hummer price?

[machinko]

Are S/Ldr Millers medals in a museum?