A Great War M.B.E. group of three to Lieutenant H. G. Welsford, Royal Air Force

Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) 1st type, hallmarks for London 1919, on 2nd type military ribbon; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.A.F.), mounted as worn, extremely fine (3) £300-400

M.B.E. London Gazette 1.1.1919.

Herbert Gray Welsford was born in 1894. Employed as a car motor engineer in Canada until April 1916, he then entered the services and was commissioned in September 1916 as an Equipment Officer with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. Promoted in December 1917 to Temporary Lieutenant, his rank was confirmed in April 1918. Throughout his military career he served as a Technical Officer and at the end of the war was serving with No.1 Aeroplane Supply Depot in France.

Sold with original paper clippings concerning his appointment to the R.F.C. and award of the M.B.E.; Air Ministry forwarding slip for the British War and Victory Medals and a curious letter from Headquarters, Military District No. 10, Winnipeg, reading, ‘Lieutenant Herbert Gray Welsford, Royal Air Force- awarded Member of the British Empire. I have pleasure in forwarding the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to you’. Also with original case for the M.B.E.; a sterling silver cigarette case inscribed, ‘Hubert’ , a pair of motorcycle goggles, a German propaganda leaflet and a large quantity of original photographs of aircraft and crew - some annotated. Together with copied service and research papers.