Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War M.S.M., inter-war M.B.E. and long service group of eleven awarded to J. W. Dunk, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1914-15 Star (F. 2144 P.O.M., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (202144 F. Sgt., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals, these three privately engraved, ‘W./Cdr. J. W. Dunk, R.A.F.’; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., coinage head (202144 Ch. Mec., R.A.F.); Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., coinage head (202144 S.M. 1, R.A.F.), mounted as worn, the earlier awards polished, thus about very fine, the remainder very fine and better (11) £600-800

M.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1931.

M.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

James William Dunk was born in Hertfordshire in August 1888 and enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service in November 1914. A motor engineer by profession, he was immediately rated Petty Officer Mechanic and was serving as a Chief Petty Officer (Engineer and Fitter) by the time of his transfer to the Royal Air Force. In the interim, among other locations, he was employed at seaplane bases at Dunkirk and Dover. Granted the rank of Chief Mechanic in the Royal Air Force, he was gazetted for his M.S.M. in 1919 and his L.S. & G.C. Medal was announced in AMO N138 of April 1933. His subsequent awards of the Jubilee 1935 and Coronation 1937 Medals are both verified by official sources, the former granted to him while employed as a Warrant Officer at H.Q. Fighting Area, and the latter while serving in the same rank at No. 1 School of Technical Training (Apprentices). Commissioned in August 1937, Dunk attained the rank of Wing Commander in the 1939-45 War and was placed on the Retired List in September 1947.