Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Four: Lieutenant J. J. Fourie, South African Air Force, late South African Medical Corps, who flew operationally in Baltimores of No. 15 (S.A.A.F.) Squadron in Italy in April 1945

1939-45 Star, officially inscribed, ‘278713 J. J. Fourie’; Africa Star, unnamed as issued; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, these last two officially inscribed, ‘278713 J. J. Fourie’, good very fine

Pair: Sergeant E. E. Fourie, South Africa Women’s Auxiliary Air Force

War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, both officially inscribed, ‘F264406 E. E. Fourie’, good very fine (6) £100-150

Jacobus Jonathan Fourie was born at Fauresmith in November 1922 and enlisted in the Union Defence Force in early 1941. Drafted to the South African Medical Corps, he witnessed active service in East Africa, Abyssinia and Egypt, including lengthy periods on attachment to the R.A.M.C. and Fleet Air Arm - hence his unnamed Africa Star. In August 1943, and probably on account of his time with the F.A.A., he transferred to the South African Air Force. Subsequently qualifying as an Air Observer, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in December 1944 and was briefly attached to No. 15 Squadron in Italy at the war’s end - thus around 10 sorties in the Po River sector, targets including enemy transport. He was released in the rank of Lieutenant at East London in May 1946, having married a South African W.A.F.F., Eunice Edna de Bruyn; sold with copied service record and medal issuance verification.

Sold with the recipient’s original S.A.A.F. Flying Log books (2), namely a pilot’s issue with entries for January-February 1944, endorsed, ‘Flying suspended - below average’; and an Air Observer’s issue, with entries covering the period September 1944 to October 1945, including pasted-down No. 15 Squadron crew photograph; together with an exercise book containing his training notes and an air observation notebook with entries for September to December 1944.

Eunice Edna Fourie was born in Umtata in October 1921 and enlisted in the South African W.A.F.F. in July 1941. Remaining employed in the Union as a Signals Clerk (Traffic), she was advanced to Sergeant in October 1943 and discharged in February 1946; sold with copied attestation and service record.

Also see Lot 542 for the awards to Lieutenant M. P. Emmott,, who was Fourie’s pilot in No. 15 Squadron.