General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Cyprus, Near East (Fg. Off. G. H. E. Allan. R.A.F.)...

General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Cyprus, Near East (Fg. Off. G. H. E. Allan. R.A.F.) mounted for display on card, with named card box of issue, good very fine £200-£300 --- George Henry Ernest Allan was born in Dover, Kent in June 1930. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in August 1951, applied for aircrew service, and was commissioned Officer Cadet Pilot in October 1952. Allan qualified as a pilot of fast jet aircraft, and advanced to Pilot Officer in January 1954 and to Flying Officer in January the following year. He was posted to 249 Squadron (Venoms) in Amman, Jordan in April 1955. Allan returned to the UK to convert to Hunter aircraft at No. 229 O.C.U, in January 1956. He was posted to 34 Squadron (Hunter F.5’s) at Tangmere in April of the same year. With tension building up over the Suez Crisis, the Tangmere Hunter Wing (34 and 1 Squadrons) was posted to Cyprus in order to provide air defence of the island, August 1956. The wing was later tasked with providing fighter cover for the paratroop transport aircrew to prevent any Egyptian Air Force intervention. The drop on Gamil airfield took place, 5 November 1956, and while Valletas and Hastings were in the target area they were covered by relays of Hunters from both squadrons. Pilots such as Allan had a ringside seat for all of the action, but the anticipated reaction from Egyptian MiGs never materialised. The Wing conducted fighter sweeps over the Nile Delta before returning to the air defence of the Cyprus bases. 34 Squadron returned to the UK at the end of December 1956, and Allan remained with the squadron until it was disbanded the following month. He transferred to the Secretarial Branch in September 1960, and advanced to Flight Lieutenant in August 1961. Allan died of illness whilst stationed at R.A.F. Cottesmore in January 1969, and was cremated at Peterborough Crematorium. Sold with copied research.