Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War Air Medal group of four awarded to 1st Lieutenant Arthur Bert Crawford Jr, 845 squadron, 489th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, who in 1944 piloted B-24 Liberator Heavy Bombers for 23 missions over heavily defended targets in Germany

United States of America, Air Medal, bronze, with two oak leaf cluster emblems on riband, wrap brooch; American Campaign Medal 1941-45, bronze, crimp brooch; European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, bronze, crimp brooch; Victory Medal 1945, bronze, crimp brooch, very fine (4) £300-£400

Air Medal, 8 September 1944:
‘For meritorious achievement in accomplishing with distinction, several aerial operational missions over enemy occupied Continental Europe, the courage, coolness and skill displayed by this individual in the face of determined opposition materially aided in the successful completion of these missions. His actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.’

Second Air Medal, 24 October, with the same (standard) citation; third Air Medal November 1944, almost certainly the same standard citation but unconfirmed

Arthur Bert Crawford Jr was born on 6 October 1918, in Newark, Ohio. He enlisted in the US Army on 11 June 1941, and in May 1942 he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. Initially assigned to active duty on 23 June as Motor Officer, 227th Quartermaster Company, in May 1943 Crawford was accepted for pilot training and sent to Perrin Field, Sherman, Texas, to begin flight training. Gaining his “wings” on 8 February 1944, on 23 April he qualified as a B-24 pilot and was sent to Biggs Field for assignment. On 2 August 1944, he received Movement Orders for overseas duty, and by 6 August the crew were making their way to Halesworth/Holton Airfield, Suffolk, England. On arrival they were actually allotted to 845 squadron, 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy). Crawford’s first combat mission to Karlsruhe, Germany, came on the 8 September 1944, and he took part in a further 22 missions, between then and 8 November 1944, most of these being targets over Germany. By December 1944, Crawford’s squadron was back in the USA, reporting in at AAF Topeka on 14 January for re-assignment. It was to convert to the B-29 Superfortress for the war on Japan. Crawford did not fly again until February 1945, when he started his B-29 Superfortress pilot conversion training at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in preparation for transfer to the Pacific theatre. He qualified on the 25 March 1945, but was not however required to go to the Pacific theatre and was separated (demobilised) back to civilian life on 13 December 1945.

Sold with large file of original documents, including detailed service papers, official U.S.A.F. documents, medal entitlement and flight logs etc.