Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part II)

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (218844 F.-Sjt. W. J. Brownridge, R.A.F.) officially corrected, nearly extremely fine and scarce £120-150

Brownridge served as a Flight-Sergeant in No. 20 Squadron, which unit was equipped with Bristol F2Bs and initially flew out of a makeshift airfield near Dakka. Apart from the fact the mountainous regions of the North West Frontier were hardly ideal for early flying operations, it is worth noting that the Afghan tribesmen responed in kind when visited by the R.A.F., one pilot describing their disciplined and accurate rifle fire as ‘uncomfortably like that of a machine-gun - and almost as effective.’