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Auction: 25112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 455

A Battle of Maubeuge casualty's pair awarded to Air Mechanic 1st Class, A. J. Parker, Royal Air Force who was invalided after suffering gunshot wounds to the head and face less than two weeks before the end of the war

British War and Victory Medals (19529. 1A.M. A. J. Parker. R.A.F.), sold together with a Silver War Badge numbered 'RAF7003', good very fine (2)

Alfred James Parker enlisted as Air Mechanic Class II on 26 January 1916, being advanced Class I on 1 January 1917. He was serving with 60 Squadron upon the formation of the Royal Air Force and was with them on the first day of the Battle of Maubeuge when he was listed as suffering a gunshot wound to the face. Admitted first to 56 Casualty Clearing station that same day he was taken to No. 26 General Hospital on 9 November and evacuated to Britain on the day of the Armistice itself.

The Squadron History notes of the period in which he was wounded:

Delay-action mines were left everywhere in this part of the world, though there were not, perhaps, as many booby traps as were found after the Boche retreat of March 1917 to the Hindenburg or Wotan Line. The bridge at Caudry station, the railhead from which the squadron drew rations, went up on November 1, killing and wounding twenty or thirty men.'

It seems possible that Parker was one of those wounded by the booby trap at Caudry station however he is noted as suffering gunshot wounds so may have fallen victim to the retreating Germans instead; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£55

Starting price
£45