Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine American group of ten awarded to Colonel F. A. Flynn, United States Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, who served with the Dwina Wing in North Russia, was wounded whilst fighting the Bolsheviks, and was awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne with Swords

United States of America, Allied Victory Medal 1917-19; American Defense Service Medal 1941; American Campaign Medal 1941-45; World War II Victory Medal 1941-45; National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Great Britain, British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. F. A. Flynn. R.A.F.); together with a duplicate Victory Medal (Lieut. F. A. Flynn. R.A.F.); France, Third Republic, Commemorative Medal for the Great War 1914-18, generally very fine and better (10) £600-£800

Frank Anthony Flynn was born in San Francisco, California, on 21 May 1896, a United States citizen, and attested for the Royal Flying Corps at Toronto, Ontario, on 2 October 1917 having previously, by his own admission, ‘served as Second Lieutenant in the United States Cavalry at the beginning of the War.’ Appointed an Air Mechanic Third Class, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 1 February 1918, and was initially posted as an Instructor with the 85th Training Squadron, Canada. However, at the end of February he was granted four weeks’ sick leave and he returned home.

On 3 March, while at Tallaferro Field, Fort Worth, Texas, Flynn took an air cadet from Los Angeles on a flight and when 400 feet from the ground the machine went into a tailspin. The controls refused to work, and the machine started to drop. There aircraft struck the ground in a newly ploughed field which may have saved their lives, the air cadet, who was in the front seat, received a broken arm and two broken ribs, while Flynn received a broken nose.

Recovering, Flynn proceeded to England and served with the 33rd Training Squadron, before receiving an operational posting to the 20th (Bristol) Fighter Squadron in France. He was subsequently attached to the Dwina Wing for service in North Russia, and was wounded whilst fighting the Bolsheviks, whilst doing some low level flying over the lines.

In the California Honour Roll, War History Department for the First World War, Flynn describes his service thus: ‘My work consisted partly in chasing down submarines on the East Coast of England; the work was rather monotonous except for a stray Hun patrol or Zep, and through our vigilance we kept these rather scarce. later I went to France and my work consisted of escorting bombers, which I was just getting warmed up to, when the armistice was declared. I then answered the call for volunteers to Russia and certainly worked hard up there, bombing the Bolshevik positions and dumps and doing considerable artillery observation for the Army and Navy; it was for good work along this line that I received the Russian Order of St. Anne with crossed swords. Whilst observing some gun positions I stopped a machine gun bullet in my leg, thus concluding my war in Russia.’

A study of the Royal Air Force casualty cards confirms that Flynn was not wounded from ground fire, in fact he was wounded while flying over the Bolshevik position while trying to reload an automatic pistol, when it discharged, and he shot himself in the leg. He was admitted into the 53rd Stationary Hospital at Archangel, Russia and he was repatriated to the Royal Air Force Hospital at Eaton Square, London in August 1919. On 27 November he departed from Southampton for New York, and whilst en route he was transferred to the unfit list. For his services during the Great War the American authorities officially approved him to wear the British War Medal, the (British) Victory Medal, and the Russian Order of St. Anne (US Service record confirms), although, given the political situation in Russia at the time, and the lack of available insignia, it is possible that he never physically received the Russian insignia.

After completing his legal studies in San Francisco, Flynn enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps Reserve on 6 July 1923, and was advanced First Lieutenant on 12 June 1926. On 17 September 1928, he was co-pilot of an aircraft which was en route from Mines Field at Los Angeles to Crissy Field, San Francisco when their gasoline was getting dangerously low. They circled over the city of Tulare in the dark searching for a landing field when they crashed in an alfalfa field north of the city. The aircraft struck the ground and plunged through the telephone wires along the railway, entirely destroying service between Tulare and Points North and the plane immediately caught fire, however both men escaped. After this mishap, he returned to duty and was promoted to the rank of Captain on 18 May 1930, being rated a Pilot from 27 July 1931. He remained with the reserves while working as a lawyer (Attorney) in his civilian life, specialising in aviation law, defending airlines from liability claims. He applied for a Purple Heart on 27 October 1932; however, his application was rejected as he received his wound as a member of the British Expeditionary Force and not with the American Expeditionary Force.

Flynn was promoted to the rank of Major on 18 October 1935, and the following year, on 30 May 1936, endured another crashed landing: Chosen to pilot the plane to scatter the ashes of a comrade, and air ace, ‘Tex’ Frolich, over Chrissy Field, Flynn had only just completed the memorial service when suddenly his motor failed when at approximately 400 feet. With hundreds of picnickers in the park, Flynn skilfully manouvered the plane to avoid hitting anyone and landed between some trees; at the time he was noted in the local newspapers as having risking his own life to avoid killing others.

Flynn saw further service during the Second World War, and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 22 June 1943. serving with 461st American Air Force Base, San Francisco, California and 464th American Air Force Base McChord Field, Washington D.C, as executive officer. Reverting to the Reserve following the cessation of hostilities he was promoted Colonel on 22 July 1949, finally retiring, unfit for further duties, on 31 January 1956, after 32 years’ service. He died at San Rafael, California on 12 April 1980, aged 84.

Sold with various N. S. Meyer, New York, silver Wings; an R.F.C. and R.A.F. cap badge; and other metal and cloth insignia; as well as extensive copied research (both hard copies and on a memory stick), including a photographic image of the recipient.