RAF Group

[erichjr]

Here are some medals to a RAF or SAAF airman.

Dogtag says Meth Henshaw FB RAF 1106283.

came from an Antique shop in Chicago usa.

Erich

[erichjr]

dog tag

[erichjr]

more

[Paul R]

What an awesome and complete grouping. Are you able to do research on these groupings?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

if SAAF the medals should be named?

[Eric JB]

Hi,

if SAAF the medals should be named?

Wasn't there a difference for white and colored service men, and that the medals for colored men were named ?

Best regards

Eric-Jan

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

all South African ones should be named. Colored would if I remember correctly have a "C" in front of their numbers? I think Black soldiers had "N" for native.

Best

Chris

[JBFloyd]

If the medals were to a South African, they would all be impressed and I'd expect an Africa Service Medal with the group. Also, very few SAAF personnel received the France and Germany Star.

[erichjr]

No name on any of the medals, so i suppose he is RAF?

But why the saaf badges?

[Chris Boonzaier]

Maybe served in the SAAF before the war, or moved to SA after the war and served?

[Mervyn Mitton]

I don't think that there is much doubt that this is a British group. The chances are that he was seconded to a Sth. African Wing or, Squadron to assist.

We had many in that area - even Rhodesian Sqds.. The other thing to look at is the large piece of shrapnel - was he shot down and assisted by a

SA Sqds. ? Until you draw his papers you can't be certain, there are many possibilities ?

The red background to the shoulder titles shows that the wearer of the Sth. African badges was probably in Nth. Africa.

The colour of the man is not important - although as Chris says the medals had a prefix to show this - N for Native and C for coloured as Chris lists -

there was also I for Indian. These groups can now have a small premium attached. Mervyn

[Brian Wolfe]

I would not jump to conclusions based on any odd badges that come with a group. The tags do show RAF and the medals are not named so they are probably his and British. The trading of badges was common both during and after the war. My wife's uncle was in the Signals corps and the medals he had went to the Royal Canadian Lefion for display with the exception of his cap badges and collar badges which I now have along with a photo of him in uniform. In the box with the badges was a small assortment of other odds and ends of insignia and badges that my wife's aunte said he brought home from the Legion were other members gave them to him. If we were to guess his unit based on the medals and insignia it could have been any 9of a number of corps.

As a general comment; many collectors will add hat badges to a group of medals, in this case in point, WWI medals, to make the collection look more attractive in the drawer or case. This is all well and good as WWI British Commonwealth Medals are all named and include the rank and corps. If you take this one step farther and to a photo of a WWII serviceman you add a group of medals that match the ribbon bar or the medals in the photo, if there are any shown, then add a hat badge etc. you have created something that is not really historically accurate, a nice display but not authentic. I am guilty of this myself, finding a nice photo of a soldier, British, Canadian, Imperial German or Japanese and because I have an exact group in the collection I add the photo to the drawer. I am sure that when I am gone and the collection sold this will be assumed to be the medals of the soldier in the photo. My bad.

To be clear, I am not making any comment on the group originally shown in this post but rather making an observation that perhaps will generate some debate.

Regards

Brian

[Michael Johnson]

The number on the tags indicates a September 1939 enlistment RAF Padgate. "Meth[odist]" is his religion. A Frederick B. Henshaw was born Q2 1913 Chesterfield Derbyshire, married Q4 1934.

The Star combination is not that unusual to British forces.

Michael

Edited March 26, 2013 by Michael Johnson