Orders, Decorations and Medals

The important group of decorations awarded to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst, K.C.B., O.B.E., M.C., Royal Air Force, Air Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean and Middle East 1945-48, and Head of Air Force Staff with the British Joint Services Mission at Washington 1948-50

The Order of The Bath (Military) K.C.B., neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels, and silver breast star with appliqué centre in gold and enamels; The Order of the British Empire (Military) O.B.E., 1st type; Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (2. Lieut., R. Innis. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Major, R.A.F.); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Southern Desert, Iraq, Palestine 1945-48 (S/L., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence & War Medals; Coronation 1937; Iraq, King Faisal’s War Medal; U.S.A., Legion of Merit, Commander’s neck badge in gilt and enamels, all but the first and last mounted as worn, generally very fine or better (15) £4000-5000

See colour illustration on back cover.

K.C.B. London Gazette 14 June 1945: Acting Air Marshal, C.B., O.B.E., M.C., Royal Air Force.

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1942: Air Vice Marshal, O.B.E., M.C., Royal Air Force. The recommendation states: ‘Was Air Attaché at Rome at the outbreak of war and subsequently served in the R.A.F. section of the Supreme War Council and at the Air Ministry as Director of Allied Air Co-operation and as Director of Plans. He became Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) in March 1941. He has rendered distinguished service in all these capacities.’

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1919: Major, M.C. ‘In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war.’

M.C. London Gazette 18 January 1918, citation 25 April 1918: Lieut. (T/Capt.), R. Innis. Fus. and R.F.C. ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He successfully bombed from a low altitude hostile batteries which were in action, and silenced their fire.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 15 June 1916: ‘Royal Flying Corps - 2nd Lieut. C. E. H. Medhurst, R. Innis. Fus.’

U.S.A., Legion of Merit London Gazette 15 March 1946.

Medhurst was also awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2nd Class (London Gazette 12 June 1945); Order of George I of Greece, Grand Officer (London Gazette 11 June 1946); and Order of the White Lion of Czechoslovakia, 2nd Class (London Gazette 6 September 1946).

Charles Edward Hastings Medhurst was born at Smethwick on 12 December 1896, the second son of the late Rev. C. E. Medhurst, of Collingham. He was educated at St Peter’s, York, and Sandhurst, and was commissioned in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in June 1915. Two months later he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps for flying duties. Before the end of the year he had joined No. 13 Squadron in France and in 1917 he went out to the Middle East Brigade, seeing service in Salonika in 1918, and being awarded the Military Cross. He served with No. 111 Squadron in Palestine in 1919 and returned to England the following year.

He was selected for technical engineering training and took the technical course at Chiseldon before going on to the Air Ministry for air staff duties in October 1923. In 1925 he took the R.A.F. Staff College course and the following year the senior officers’ course, after which he went out to Iraq for two years’ air staff duties, as well as operational duties against the Akhwan in the Southern Desert, January to June 1928. In 1929 he was selected for the Imperial Defence College course and during 1930 he commanded No. 4 Squadron. Then followed three years as instructor at the Staff College. By this time it was clear that it was in the direction of air staff duties rather than in the technical field that his bent lay and in 1934 he returned to the Air Ministry with the rank of Wing Commander, in the Directorate of Operations and Intelligence. He became a Deputy Director in 1935.

In August 1937 he went out to Rome as Air Attaché and remained there until 1940 when Italy entered the war. He then returned to England to become the R.A.F. Secretary of the Supreme War Council. Later that year he became Director of Allied Air Cooperation, and after a short time as Director of Plans he was appointed Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1941. He was made an additional member of the Air Council in October 1941 while acting as temporary Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, and in the following year he was appointed Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Policy). For the last two years of the war he was Commandant of the R.A.F. Staff College.

In October 1945 he became Air Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean and Middle East Command, of which the headquarters were in Cairo. Later he faced the difficult task of carrying through the move of his headquarters and the major part of his forces from the Nile to the canal zone. He was succeeded as Air Commander-in-Chief by Sir William Dickson in March 1948, and in May he went to Washington as Head of the Air Force Staff, British Joint Services Mission, being promoted Air Chief Marshal shortly afterwards. In Washington he moved with a sure step at a time when a quick understanding of the American mind and scene was indispensable. He retired in 1950.

It was in the field of Intelligence and in the Royal Air Force’s relations with the air forces of other countries that Sir Charles made his greatest contribution to his service. His ease of manner and quiet charm made him an excellent “mixer” and brought him a wide circle of friends in London, Washington, Cairo, and many of the European capitals.

He married in 1919, Christabell Elizabeth, daughter of the late Canon T. E. B. Guy, of York. Their only son was killed in action with the R.A.F. in 1944. Air Chief Marshal Medhurst died in hospital at Lymington, Hampshire, on 18 October 1954, aged 57.