Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Air Mechanic 1st Class W. J. Parris, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service

British War and Victory Medals (209269 1 A.M., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals, unnamed, extremely fine (5) £150-200

William John Parris was born in Brighton, Sussex on 5 September 1891. A Chauffeur Mechanic by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Naval Air Service as an Air Mechanic 1st Class on 17 November 1915. He was based in the U.K. at Barrow, Inchinor, Wormwood Scrubbs and Crystal Palace until October 1917 when he was posted to Dunkirk. Transferred to the R.A.F. on 1 April 1918, serving with the Naval Air Squadron, and R.A.F. Reserve in March 1919, he was discharged from the service on 30 April 1920. He enlisted in Class “E” Reserve for four years from 31 May 1939 and was ranked as a Leading Aircraftsman, later a Warrant Officer 2nd Class.

Based on the notes from one of his children, Parris served for some time on the airship R.34. The vessel completed in December 1918, made her first flight in March 1919, made the first east-west Atlantic crossing by air in July 1919 and crashed, being damaged beyond repair in January 1921.

Sold with a brass plate, 75 x 57mm., inscribed, ‘W. J. Parris 1 A M D R.N.A.S.’; a cloth badge of the R.N.A.S.; original photograph of the recipient in R.N.A.S. uniform; two group photographs - one, including Parris, inscribed on back, ‘Air Crew of R.34 all perished except my father’; the other, including Parris, is at R.A.F. Colishaw, Norfolk, taken sometime after ‘Dunkirk’; other copied photographs - relating to the R.34. Also with copied R.N.A.S. & R.A.F. service papers; copied research and handwritten notes provided by one of the recipient’s children. An extract from the latter reads -

‘My father in WW1 was an air mechanic on the R.34 Airship Royal Naval Air Service before the R.A.F. was founded in 1918. Station[ed] at ? when the R.34 Airship met with disaster with all hands. My father for the first time in his life went sick so he lived to see the formation of the R.A.F. & and was transferred to the R.A.F. from the R.N.A.S. And on reserve at the age of 40 was called up & escaped at Dunkirk [in] WW2.’