Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A well documented ‘Waziristan 1921-24’ campaign group of four awarded to Aircraftman First Class, S. C. Smith, 5 Squadron, Royal Air Force, late Royal West Surrey Regiment

British War and Victory Medals (G-66858 Pte. S. C. Smith. The Queen’s R.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (344754. A.C.2 S. C. Smith. R.A.F.); Defence Medal, mounted for display, generally good very fine (4) £140-180

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Royal Air Force between the Wars (1919-1939) formed by Group Captain JE Barker.

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Provenance: Sotheby’s, November 1993.

Sidney Charles Smith was born at 4 Oak Terrace, Orpington, Kent, in December 1899. He enlisted for the East Kent Regiment in March 1918, and served with the 6th Battalion, The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) later that year. Smith transferred to the Reserve in March 1919, and was discharged from the Army, 31 March 1920. He joined the Royal Air Force as an A.C.2 in January 1921, and served with 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (Bristol F.2b’s), Ambala, India, from March 1923. He advanced to A.C.1 in May 1927, and returned to the UK before transferring to the Reserve the following year. Smith died at 3 Startford Avenue, Hillingdon, Middlesex, in December 1959.

Sold with the following items and documents: R.A.F. cap badges, buttons, cloth shoulder badges and blazer badge; named card box of issue for Defence Medal, with enclosure slip, addressed to ‘Mr. S. C. Smith, 9 Nympsfield Road, Lower Tuffley, Gloucester’; Certificate of Service and Discharge; Certificate of Transfer to Reserve; Statement of Qualifications and Employment; Photograph Album covering service in India, with aircraft and personnel pictures, in addition to more ‘tourist’ orientated coverage, offering a scarce contemporary insight into R.A.F. life in India ‘between the wars’; Christmas Card, ‘B’ Flight, 5 Squadron, R.A.F. Durdoni, N.W.F., India, signed ‘Sid with love’, and other ephemera as well as a file of copied research.