Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to coincide with the OMRS Convention

A rare post-war A.F.C. group of six to Flight Lieutenant J. Mellor, Royal Air Force, who flew operationally as a Navigator in Canberras during the Suez Crisis

Air Force Cross, E.II.R., the reverse officially dated 1962; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Malaya, Near East, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.) generally good very fine (6) £1500-2000

A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1962.

Jack Mellor enlisted in the Royal Air Force in mid-1943 and trained as a Navigator out in Canada, qualifying in April 1944. Returning to the U.K. at the end of the latter year, he was posted to No. 48 Squadron, a Dakota unit of Transport Command operating out of Down Ampney, in January 1945, and undertook numerous supply and ferrying missions over North West Europe until V.E. Day, the evacuation of casualties being high on the Squadron’s agenda. His next posting was to No. 24 Squadron, a York unit operating out of Hendon, between June and October 1946, an appointment that saw him involved in flying high-ranking R.A.F. Officers around the world, and ultimately being sent to Japan as a member of aircrew for Lieutenant-General Gairdner and Lieutenant-General Robertson, C.-in-C., B.C.O.F.

Returning to No. 24 Squadron in the U.K. in February 1948, Mellor was appointed to the C.-in-C’s crew (Far Eastern Air Force) at Changi in mid-1950, in which role he served until late 1952, thereby qualifying for his Malaya clasp. Back home in time for the Coronation, he qualified as a Combat Observer and Combat Select Plotter on Canberras, and was posted to No. 18 Squadron at R.A.F. Upwood in early 1956, a timely appointment in light of looming difficulties with Egypt.

With the advent of hostilities that October, No. 18 hastily despatched eight Canberras and ten crews, Mellor among them, to Nicosia, Cyprus, and on the last day of the month four aircraft were detailed to act as Markers on a strike against the enemy airfield at Kabrit. Although Mellor did not participate in this opening mission, he certainly flew on a flare-marking sortie against Agami Isl, near Alexandria on the evening of 4 November. And by the time hostilities had ceased a few days later, No. 18 had put on 34 sorties against a variety of enemy airfields and installations.

Mellor’s subsequent career encompassed appointments with 35, 192 and 51 Squadrons, the last two of which, between 1958-62, witnessed him putting in many hours on Comet 2s, often as 1st Navigator to his Squadron Leader or Wing Commander, work that undoubtedly led to the award of his A.F.C.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Books, privately bound into one volume, with numerous inserted certificates, covering the period July 1947 to October 1961, the opening page bearing an official endorsement: ‘Certified that the Flying Log Book of 154815 F./Lt. J. Mellor was destroyed in the Station Officer’s Mess Fire, B.C.A.I.R. Station, Japan on 25 May 1947’; together with two original photographs.