British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The excessively rare Northern Kurdistan Military Cross and Waziristan 1925 group of nine awarded to Air Chief Marshal Sir Claude Pelly, G.B.E., K.C.B., M.C., Royal Air Force

Military Cross, G.V.R.; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1925 (F/O. C. B. R. Pelly, R.A.F.); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Northern Kurdistan, Cyprus (F/L. C. B. R. Pelly, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1953; Order of George I of Greece, silver-gilt and enamel breast badge with swords, the group court mounted as worn, toned, nearly extremely fine (9) £8000-10000

M.C. London Gazette 6 October 1933:

‘For distinguished services in the Field in connection with military operations in Northern Kurdistan, Iraq, during the period December 1931 to June 1932.’

Claude Bernard Raymond Pelly was born in August 1902 and was educated at Rugby and the R.A.F. College, Cranwell, from which latter establishment he graduated as a Pilot Officer in August 1922 and was posted to No. 39 Squadron.

Removing to No. 60 Squadron as a Flight Commander in September 1924, he went on to witness active service in the Waziristan operations in the following year and, after transferring to No. 56 Squadron in November 1929, was appointed to Air Staff-Intelligence at H.Q. Iraq Command in March 1931 - his subsequent award of the M.C. for the military operations in Northern Kurdistan likely reflected services with an Army Column in his capacity as an Air Liaison Officer, a distinction he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture in February 1934.

Having then been advanced to Squadron Leader, Pelly served in various intelligence posts from 1939-43, the outbreak of hostilities leading to his appointment as Head of Intelligence, H.Q. Air Component of the B.E.F. in the rank of Wing Commander. Posted to H.Q. R.A.F. Middle East in the following year, to assist in the co-ordination of fighter protection during the evacuation of Crete, he was granted the temporary rank of Group Captain and awarded the C.B.E. (London Gazette 1 January 1943 refers), the recommendation stating:

‘For over two years this officer has done most valuable work as Head of the Air Staff Planning Section and representative of the Joint Planning Staff. In the latter capacity he has been of particular assistance to the three Commanders-in-Chief. He gets on well with the officers of all Services and has worked untiringly and with a cheerful spirit.’

Pelly was next appointed S.A.S.O. Western Desert Air Force, from March 1943, and S.A.S.O. Desert Air Force from July of the same year, in the rank of Group Captain, in which capacity he remained actively employed until taking up the post of Head of the Inter-Departmental Bombing Survey in 1945. During the course of the 1939-45 War, in addition to his C.B.E., he was thrice mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1941, 11 June 1942 and 14 January 1944 refer), and awarded the Greek Order of George I in May 1946 (AIR 2/8920 refers).

Post-war, Pelly was confirmed in the rank of Air Commodore in July 1947 and as Air Vice-Marshal in July 1949, and was awarded the C.B. in the following year for his services as Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Technical and Operational Requirements (London Gazette 2 January 1950 refers). Employment as a senior member of the Directing Staff of the Imperial Defence College having followed, he was appointed C.-in-C. Middle East Air Force, in the acting rank of Air Marshal, in October 1953. During his tenure of office, he was tasked with devising a redeployment plan for the relocation of his command from Egypt and it was his decision to transfer the centre of R.A.F. operations in the Middle East to Cyprus, where it remains to this day. He was appointed K.C.B. (London Gazette 1 January 1954 refers), and received his knighthood in a ceremony held at Aden during the Queen’s Commonwealth tour in the same year.

Advanced to Air Chief Marshal in February 1957, in which year he also became an A.D.C. to the Queen, he was appointed G.B.E. (London Gazette 13 June 1959 refers) and placed on the Retired List in the rank of Air Chief Marshal in November of the latter year.

In January 1964, Pelly was appointed a Member of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, in which post he served until 1964. Sir Claude died in August 1972.