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Auction: 1008 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 12

A Scarce 1925 ´Iraq Levies´ M.B.E. Group of Six to Captain, Later Flight Lieutenant, P.J.T. Baddiley, Iraq Levies, Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, A Veteran of the Mesopotamian Theatre, He Was Mentioned in Despatches For Services as a Scout Pilot During the Great War a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, Member´s (M.B.E.) breast Badge, silver b) 1914-15 Star (7036 2-A.M. P.J.T. Baddiley, R.F.C.) c) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oakleaves (Lieut. P.J.T. Baddiley. R.A.F.) d) General Service 1918-62, G.V.R., two clasps, Kurdistan, Iraq (Lieut. P.J.T. Baddiley.) e) Iraq, Kingdom, Active Service Medal, no clasp, generally very fine, mounted court-style as originally worn, housed in a Spink & Son Ltd, King St., leather custom made case, with recipient´s Civil Flying Log Book (covering the period 27.11.1929-9.5.1932); photograph of recipient in uniform; and a comprehensive file of research (lot) Estimate £ 800-1,200 M.B.E. London Gazette 3.6.1925 Lieutenant Philip Taylor Baddiley, Regular Army Reserve of Officers, General List, 3rd Battalion, Iraq Levies Flight Lieutenant John Taylor Baddiley, M.B.E., born Luton, Bedfordshire, 1898; enlisted Royal Flying Corps as 2/A.M., July 1915; served with the British Salonika Force, 16.11.1915-10.11.1917 and as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, 12.6.1917-2.10.1917; 1/A.M. 27.3.1917; commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant (Pilot), 20.12.1917; posted to Mesopotamia for service with 72 Squadron and flew in operational sorties with ´C´ Flight (Bristol Monoplanes), Mirjana, from January 1918; ´C´ Flight worked in conjunction with General A.C. Lewin´s force on the Dyala Front, attacking ground targets and driving off enemy aircraft, including in October 1918 when, ´Lieutenant Baddiley, in a Camel had driven down a German A.E.G., and had been much annoyed to learn subsequently that the machine had taken off again from behind our lines and escaped´ (Article included in lot refers); Baddiley was Mentioned in Lieutenant-General W.R. Marshall´s Despatch of 15.4.1918 (London Gazette 12.1.1920) for services in Mesopotamia; posted to 63 Squadron, Baghdad, February 1919, and with the war over he mainly flew recce, photographic and policing duties against dissident Arab tribes; the squadron was disbanded 29.2.1920, staying in Baghdad Baddiley was posted to 30 Squadron, 1.3.1920; transferred as Lieutenant, Iraq Levies and served in various operations against Sheikh Mahmud and his Kurds, including the Spring Offensive in 1925, when the Sheikh was forced to retire across the border into Persia (M.B.E.); promoted Local Captain, 22.9.1928 (M.I.C. gives entitlement to clasp 1930-31 for Iraq Active Service Medal); his Civil Log Book gives flights undertaken with the Cinque Ports Flying Club, 27.11.1929-6.1.1930 and with the Maidstone School of Flying, April-May 1932; upon his return to the U.K. subsequent postings included: Civilian Assistant, No. 24 Training Command, Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, 1936-38; Assistant Adjutant, No. 17 Training Group School of Naval Co-operation, July 1938-March 1939; re-engaged for service during the Second World War as Flight Lieutenant Administrative and Special Duties Branch, R.A.F., 1.9.1939-September 1943.

Sold for
£1,150