Airforces

Flying Officer Geoffrey LOCKWOOD  for all the ROYAL AIR FORCE’s MARINE CRAFT and AIR SEA RESCUE SERVICE which saved many Allied lives during its wartime service including D-Day, the morale effect of SAVING DITCHED AIRCREW returning from raids was considerable; to quote two of Geoffrey's many sea rescues:- he saved Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt T H DAVIS  & eight crew from FLYING FORTRESS 004 of 8AF 305 Group's 364 SQN, CHELVESTON on 6Sep43; on D-DAY, he had already saved one downed airman before dawn and an hour before tasked to be on station.

Lt Colonel "Peter" Piao-Chang LIANG, born in Oct17, went to NANKING Central Military ACADEMY at 18 for 3 years, later specialising in AIR SIGNALS & INT STAFF after 14 SQN 1939 CHENGTU + RUSSIANS 2 yrs & 3 SQN KUNMING: signs IN CHINESE for vital but underrated contribution of the IMPERIAL CHINESE ARMY and AIR FORCE, and RESISTANCE of CHINA itself. China never went Vichy so the Japanese became inextricably involved, tying down massive forces on Chinese mainland to allow AMERICAN island hopping STRATEGY; a Chinese book states 1.3M ARMY dead, 4,321 AIR FORCE & that no NAVY statistics are held.

Vassili KUBAREV for the SOVIET AIR FORCE and as a pilot for the critical ground support of Soviet troops and their Yak & llyushin fighter bombing on the wide and important Eastern Fronts.

Warrant Officer Pilot Don JONES covers the development and use on No.6 Squadron of the Mk IV HURRICANES, the "tin openers" which gave the Sqn a new nickname - they tried to fire straight and level or in a slight dive with difficulty getting up to the recommended 240 mph.

Patrick M HAMILTON for the three Hurricanes and his knocking down of Japanese attacker in 5th April 1942 Raid on COLOMBO then in CEYLON and the eastern NAVAL BASE, when Singapore fell, for the British Eastern Fleet.

Corporal Jeff DAVIES, RAF AIRCRAFT FITTER (633435) of No. 39 SQN BLENHEIMS and MARYLANDS, before special training to join the newly formed No.3232 SERVICING COMMANDO UNIT in the MIDDLE EAST, MALTA SICILY & ITALY

Winefred (née CASSELLE) Cole WAAF for the additional contribution to UK forces of the BRITISH LATIN AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS Most Latin American countries had ambivalent attitudes to WW2 but a considerable proportion of Argentinian citizens opposed the nation's official neutralist stance

Michael CAUCHI awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for his participation in 31 Sqn SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE  Liberatqrs on the dangerous supply drop support missions for the WARSAW UPRISING by 205 Group; he also flew on the Romanian PLOESTI OIL attacks and River DANUBE MINJNG operational sorties; he also represents the outstanding importance, valour and service of both CIVILIANS and MILITARY on MALTA George Cross ^SLAND. where he was born and witnessed the savage attacks of 1941 and 1942; Mike served also as Chairman of the Malta  Georae Cross Island Association.

Sqn Ldr Lewis BRANDON DSO DFC* was a navigator who, with his pilot Wg Cdr James G Benson DSO, DFC*, became one of the most successful of the RAF night fighter crews.