Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A D.S.M. group of seven miniature dress medals representative of those worn by Warrant Officer J. R. Woollard, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service

Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R., Field Marshal’s [sic] bust obverse; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1925; Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R.; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., mounted for display, very fine, the DSM a scarce miniature ‘mule’ £100-£140

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 May 1918:
‘For zeal and devotion to duty during the period from 1st July to 31st December 1917.’

R.A.F. M.S.M. London Gazette 11 June 1924:
‘For distinguished service rendered during the operations in Kurdistan between 15th February and 19th June 1923.’

James Robert Woollard was born on 4 August 1894, at Chelmsford, Essex, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 28 August 1912. Prior to the Great War he served in H.M. Ships Renown, Bulwark, Crescent, and Audacious, becoming Stoker 1st Class in August 1913. Qualifying as an Air Mechanic 1st Class, he transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service in April 1915 and served as a Wireless Operator with the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, 63 Wing, in the Dardanelles from that date until March 1918. During that period he was ‘noted for War Services Operations in Eastern Mediterranean 1916’, and promoted to Leading Mechanic (E.) in August 1916 and to Petty Officer Mechanic (E.) in January 1918. Woollard transferred to the Royal Air Force on its formation on 1 April 1918, with an appointment as a Sergeant Mechanic in 2 Wing, and was reclassified as Flight Sergeant Fitter in November 1918.

In November 1921, as part of Draft 30 to 17 Squadron, Woollard was posted to Iraq and later took part in the operations in Kurdistan, earning the M.S.M., one of eight awards for these operations, and the last immediate awards of the R.A.F. M.S.M. to be made, but not the appropriate General Service Medal, 17 Squadron not having been present in the relevant areas during the appropriate qualifying dates. In October 1923, he was posted to No. 20 Squadron at Karachi, India, and it was with the one eligible flight of that squadron that he earned the scarce Waziristan 1925 clasp, of which fewer than 300 were issued.

Woollard returned to the U.K. in 1927, was promoted to Sergeant Major 2nd Class in November of the following year, and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in November 1930, while on attachment to the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Glorious. Advanced to Warrant Officer (Engineer) in April 1933, he was finally discharged in February 1935.

Note: The recipient’s full-sized medals were sold in these rooms in December 2006.

Sold with copied research.