Campaign Groups and Pairs

Three: Attributed to Driver H. J. Olding, 305 Company, Royal Army Service Corps (General Transport), who participated in the Liberation of Norway 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, with Army Council enclosure, nearly extremely fine Pair: Attributed to Squadron Leader E. J. R. Downs, Royal Air Force, a jet aircraft flying instructor who baled out and survived a mid-air collision between two Meteor jet aircraft in April 1954 Defence and War Medals 1939-45, in card box of issue addressed to ‘F/O E. J. R. Downs, R.A.F. Khor Maksar [sic], Aden, M.E.A.F.’, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £80-£100 --- Harry James Olding was born on 6 January 1903, and attested for the Royal Army Service Corps at Bulford on 21 August 1941. His service record confirms that he embarked for service in North West Europe on 26 May 1944, and disembarked for the liberation of Norway on 4 June 1945. He was discharged on 4 February 1946. Sold together with the recipient’s Army Book 64 (Soldier’s Brown Book), covers detached; Army Book X 801; Soldier’s Release Book, Class ‘A’; Army Form W5258 Record of Service; National Registration Identity Card; a large Liberation of Norway Certificate, named to the recipient and bearing the facsimile signature of King Olav; and a large photograph of the recipient in uniform, some of the documents and photograph damaged with creases and tears to edges. Ernest James Raymond Downs served in the ranks of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and was commissioned Pilot Officer on 27 November 1946. He served with 8 Squadron at Khormaksar in 1949, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1950. A qualified flying instructor, he subsequently served as an instructor on Meteor Jet Aircraft at No. 203 Advanced Flying School, R.A.F. Driffield, and then later as Training Officer of 604 Squadron. He survived a mid-air collision on 3 April 1954 - his pupil, Pilot Officer Austin, was in a controlled descent in a Meteor T7 (WL 462) to North Weald, when it was struck by an F8 from 111 Squadron, also at North Weald. Downs managed to bail out and survived, but Austin was killed, the aircraft crashing near Blackmore, Essex. He retired with the rank of Squadron Leader, on 30 August 1968. Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Form 5214A Instrument Pilot Rating Card for the Jet Provost aircraft, dated 1962 and 1963; and copied research.