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

Seven: Warrant Officer T. W. Rippon, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, late Royal Air Force and Leicestershire Regiment

1914 Star, with copy slip-on clasp (6427 Cpl., 2/Leic. R.); British War and Victory Medals (65768 Sgt., R.A.F.); Defence and War Medals; Royal Air Force L.S.& G.C., G.V.R. (65768 S.M.2, R.A.F.); Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (W.O. (841506), R. Aux. A.F.) second with edge bruise, good very fine (lot) £300-350

T. W. Rippon, alias Arthur Mitchell entered the France/Flanders theatre of war with the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on 12 October 1914. Later transferred to the R.F.C./R.A.F., he ended the war based at Halton R.A.F. Camp, England. In the mid-1920’s he served with the R.A.F. in Iraq. Serving with the R.A.A.F. during the Second World War, he was based at R.A.F. Titchfield in Hampshire during the latter part of the war.

Sold with a number of related items: Identity disks (2) inscribed, ‘Rippon C.E. 1359486’; R.A.F. Rifle Association Medal, bronze, unnamed; Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment Rifle Club Medal, bronze, inscribed, ‘S.M. Rippon, T.W., R.A.F., R.A.F. Rifle Eijht (sic) in Iraq 1925’; R.A.F. Rifle & Pistol Association Medal, silver, ‘Iraq 1925, Sgts. Match Garrison, Second’; Silver teaspoons (4), commemorating shooting events; a leather flying helmet; ‘Army Book 130’ - a ‘Punishment Book’ - a record of offences and punishments meted out to aircraftsmen based at Halton Camp, 4 June 1918-7 February 1919 - Flight Sergeant Rippon was a ‘witness’ to many of these minor offences; ‘S.O. Book 135’, containing typewritten instructions for pilots under training - inscribed to W/O T. W. Rippon, R.A.F., 1918’; Exercise Book, inscribed to ‘S. Major T. W. Rippon, 504 “B” Squadron’, recording some personal thoughts; the book V.C. of the Air, inscribed, ‘T. W. Rippon, 22 Gerta Rd., New Eltham, S.E.9’; Post cards (5) of R.A.F. Halton; a letter to Rippon from his father, dated 16 July 1944, when based at R.A.F. Titchfield; photographs (3). A fascinating assemblage.