Greece - WW2 Air Force Decorations

[Hendrik]

Gents,

Please post your pictures of these decorations ... Kicking the topic off with the two I have in my collection myself :

The Air Force Merit Cross

[attachmentid=31878] [attachmentid=31880]

[Hendrik]

... and the Air Force Cross (reverse is blank) :

[attachmentid=31881]

[JimZ]

Hi Hendrik!

Interesting DFC style ribbon on the Air Force Merit Cross and US Air medal style on the Air Force Cross.

May I ask - any logic to the Greek choice of ribbon style?

Jim

[Hendrik]

any logic to the Greek choice of ribbon style?

Hello Jim,

No idea ... it's all Greek to me

The best I can come up with is that someone at the time was so inspired by the British (and Commonwealth) help in trying to withstand the German/Italian invasion that the diagonally striped ribbon was introduced.

If my information is correct, the Greek DFC, DFM, AFC and AFM all originally had diagonally striped ribbons (created in 1941 but never struck as medals then, only ribbons appear to have been available). In a short span of time, some of these awards went through 3 different ribbon variations ...

Hoping somebody will come up with some picture material and further information on this.

Cheers,

Hendrik

[Mark Brewer]

Hendrick nice photos. Here is a photo from the rathbone museum of a WWII Greek pilots tunic showing the ribbon for the Air Force Cross (shown in the post above) last in the ribbon bar. Nice groups comprising royal orders and the Cross of Valour, War Cross etc.

[Mark Brewer]

Here's one someone sent me of the Greek Air Force Flying Cross. This was commonly referred to as the Greek DFC, although due to the four different Greek Air Force decorations of cross design there appears to have been confusion in awards to British Airmen as to what was what.

[Mark Brewer]

It appears that the ribbons on the Greek Air Force Tunic above include in order: Royal Order of the Redeemer, Order of Valour, Knights Gold Cross of the Order of George I (civil), Knights Gold Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix (military), Flying Cross of Valour, Greek War Cross First Class, Air Force Cross. I found it difficult to track down a picture of the Flying Cross of Valour. The attached photo is borrowed from the following website:

http://trexer.net/archive.htm#HFCV

[Hendrik]

Hello Mark,

Thanks for these pictures !

Cheers,

Hendrik