Hammer

£1,000

Royal Air Force BEM. RAF Elizabeth II British Empire Medal Gallantry Award

This is believed to be the first such award to be made in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Awarded to “4056492 LAC James W Dorey RAF”. Retaining original ribbon and pin as worn and contained in box of issue ... Accompanied by Buckingham Palace forwarding letter (Elizabeth R) ... Two original press photographs taken at the presentation ceremonially ... Original copy of the London Gazette. GC.

The announcement of the BEM appeared in the London Gazette with a full citation on the 14th March 1952. “On the 22nd December 1951 a Meteor Mark VII aircraft WA 936 from Royal Air Force Station Coltishall crashed and caught fire within the airfield boundary of RAF Station Horsham St Faith. The fire crew quickly attacked the flames and soon it was possible to see that there were two occupants of the aircraft. The unconscious pilot was pulled out of the burning wreckage with little delay, but the Navigator who was fully conscious was still trapped. Leading Aircraftsman Dorey a member of the fire crew, who had already worked valiantly in the task of controlling the fire and rescuing the Pilot, climbed onto the fuselage and despite the obvious danger of imminent explosion and the extreme discomfort from the flames and smoke, held the navigator as far away from the flames as he could. This he did to the limit of his physical strength, thus enabling the Medical Officer more easily to administer to the injured man and finally effect his removal from the wreckage. Leading Aircraftsman Dorey thereupon collapsed from the effects of the smoke and his superhuman exertion and fell into the wreckage, from which he was rescued by his comrades. His magnificent conduct was largely responsible for the navigator being rescued alive; unfortunately he died subsequently in Hospital”LAC Dorey joined the RAF in late 1950. The Meteor in question WA936 was carrying out a formation flying practice, when it fell out of formation and crashed, both crew members succumbed to their injuries.The Navigator Flight Sergeant Edward Shipman died three days later on Christmas Day. Pilot Sergeant John Stuart Jennison died shortly after the crash on the 22nd December.With the death of King George VI one month before the announcement of the award, this would indicate the first award of the BEM to the RAF by Queen Elizabeth.