Single Campaign Medals

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (4190112 L.A.C. R. W. Blatch. R.A.F.) very fine £80-£120 --- Richard William Blatch was born in Gosport, Hampshire, in July 1938 and served as a Junior Technician in the Royal Air Force. He died in service during a blizzard on Snowdonia on 17 November 1962: ‘Squadron Leader Tony Back, a South African stationed at Kenley, Corporal James Patrick McCann and Junior Technician Richard William Blatch were returning from an Inter-services climbing trip to ‘Craig yr Ysfa’ near the village of Capel Curig, Snowdonia, when the blizzard set in. McCann was the first to show signs of distress and then Blatch could not go on. The freak storm became “savage,” worse than anything the airmen had previously experienced – Blatch could only crawl and Back was trying to drag McCann to safety using a rope. Occasionally, they glimpsed a glow of light from the farmhouse they were heading for and saw the occasional sweep of car headlights, but they only made it 100 yards before collapsing from exposure. Back realised that their only hope was for him to set off and seek help alone. He gave Blatch some food and a torch to use as a signal when he returned. However, by the time an Inter-services search party returned, there was no signal to be seen. They continued to look for the men in the darkness and thick snow until 3.30am and resumed the search at dawn when they were joined by parties from the Matthew Boulton Technical College, Birmingham, and the Bangor University Mountain Club, who were at the Ogwen Cottage Mountain School, and by a section of the R.A.F. Valley mountain rescue team operating from Beddgelert. However, they searched in vain: McCann and Blatch had died frozen together, only 400 yards from the A5 road, huddled against a dry stone wall for protection.’ (Kenley Revival refers) Both Blatch and McCann are buried under C.W.G.C. headstones in Airmen’s Corner, St. Luke’s Churchyard, Whyteleafe, Surrey.