Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s Medal for Champion Shots of the Air Forces, E.II.R., with dated clasp ‘1962’ (R.R.A.F. 1962: Cpl. Tech. B. T. Gilpin , Score 562), good very fine and rare £800-1000

Brian Gilpin was the only ‘non-com.’ member of the Royal Rhodesian Air Force’s team in the 1962 championship, and was originally awarded the Army Best Shot Medal. However, as outlined in a newspaper report of the time, ‘An examination of the relevant regulations established that Corporal Gilpin was awarded the wrong medal ... [so] ... tomorrow at the Air Force farewell to Sir Roy Welensky, the Prime Minister will present him with the Queen’s Medal for the Air Force’. The same article continues:

‘An Air Force spokesman in Salisbury said that Corporal Gilpin had been awarded the Army Medal as a member of the Armed Forces of Southern Rhodesia. It had now been found armed forces did not include the Air Force. “The status of the Army and Air Force Medals is the same,” said the Air Force spokesman. “The award of the Air Force Medal has been backdated to November 1962,” he added.’

Sold with a quantity of copied photographs and newspaper reports, and an original letter from the recipient, dated 6 January 1992.

Withdrawn