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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 87

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (365495. L.A.C. H. Kinloch. R.A.F.), post loose, minor contact marks and minor edge bruising, very fine

Harold Kinloch was born at Portsmouth, Hampshire on 3 October 1908. He enlisted as an Aircraft Apprentice on 9 September 1924 with No. 4 Wing at R.A.F. Halton, before moving onto the Electrical and Wireless School at R.A.F Flowerdown on 17 September 1924. Commencing his service with the rank of Aircraftman Class II on 3 October 1926, Kinloch was promoted Aircraftman Class I (Wireless Operator, Mechanic) on 19 August 1927 and posted to Number 1 Flying School at Netheravon and recommended for training as an Airman Pilot for the first time at that point. He joined number 84 (B) Squadron at Shaibah, Iraq on 20 October 1928 and promoted Leading Aircraftman on 1 September 1930. Posted to India Kinloch arrived on 2 November 1930 and joined 1 Wing at Kohat on 8 November, from here he served attached to a number of different posts starting with Lower Topa from 25 June-5 October 1931. Later to Miranshah twice from 1 December-19 December 1932 and again from 16 January-31 January 1933, on several occasions he ceased to draw crew pay, an indication that he was not serving as aircrew for those periods. At this stage aircrew were usually attached to Wings from which units would draw on them as needed, so crew pay would mean a posting as Air Observer/Wireless Operator. Joining 101 Bomber Squadron in Andover on 14 December 1933 he re-mustered as Air Observer/Wireless Operator, Mechanic.

Kinloch was married in August 1936 to Doris Louisa Kinloch (née Howes) in Portsmouth, Hampshire. He was still drawing crew pay when the unit relocated to Upper Hayford on 10 September 1936 and ceased to do so on 12 November that year. Transferring to 144 (B) Squadron at R.A.F. Hemswell on 13 August 1937 he was promoted Sergeant (Wireless Electrical Mechanic) on 1 March 1938. Kinloch was one of three crewmen who took off from R.A.F. Hemswell on 2 June 1939 in a Handley Page Hampden, No. L.4128. The aircraft crashed at Caenby Corner, Lincolnshire at 10:15 with all three of the crew killed. It had suffered an engine fire and stalled in flight, witnesses highlighted the slow speed of the plane as it went down. Kinloch was buried at Hemswell, Linconshire on 5 June 1939; sold together with copied service records and an extract from Hampden File detailing the crash.

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Sold for
£350

Starting price
£60

Sale 21003 Notices
This is Niue SG 58 var. not Cook Islands 102 var. Estimate restated at £150-200.