Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An interesting and scarce Norwegian War Cross, with related ephemera, awarded to Beaufort air-gunner Flight Lieutenant N. Kemp, Royal Air Force, for Coastal Command operations against German convoys in Norwegian waters in 1941 - during which he claimed to have destroyed several vessels and an Me. 109

Norway, Kingdom, War Cross, with Sword Emblem on riband, the reverse engraved ‘Awarded P/O Neville Kemp. R.A.F. 10.8.42’, in Spink & Son, London, case of issue; together with the recipient’s seven related miniature awards comprising 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; and Norwegian War Cross, all mounted for wear, very fine £300-£400

Norway, War Cross London Gazette 6 October 1942.

Neville Wilson Kemp of ‘87 Willows Crescent, Cannon Hill [Birmingham], was among the 24 members of the British Army and R.A.F. who were decorated by King Haakon at the Norwegian Embassy in London yesterday, with the Norwegian Military Cross with Sword [sic], the highest war decoration of that country, and the equivalent of the British V.C.

Pilot Officer Kemp is the only air gunner holding this decoration, the ribbon of which is in scarlet, blue and white, with a miniature sword upon it. Pilot Officer Kemp said today: “King Haakon decorated us, and the Crown Prince of Norway was present as well. The citation was in Norwegian, which I cannot read, but I know that my commanding officer (Wing Commander J. C. Mayhew) and I were awarded this decoration for operations against German convoys in Norwegian waters in 1941. I was then a Sergeant air-gunner, and for three weeks, in a Beaufort, a torpedo bomber of Coastal Command, we were engaged in seeking out enemy ships. We made about a dozen operational flights, and we sunk about five ships, tankers, large merchant vessels carrying supplies and troops, and a ‘flak’ ship; and we brought down one Me. 109. Wing Commander Mayhew has since been reported missing, and his wife received the decoration.”

Pilot Officer Kemp was educated at Moseley College, and before he volunteered for the R.A.F. in September, 1939, was working as a photographer with Messrs. Siviter Smith, block makers, of Newhall Street. He was commissioned in May this year, and has been doing instructional work since June. His brother, Sergeant Robert Kemp, is now with the R.A.F. in Canada.’ (Newspaper cutting included with the lot refers).

Sold with a number of newspaper cuttings and photographs from various stages of recipient’s career, and other ephemera.

Note: The recipient’s full size British campaign awards and Log Books are known.