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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 305

A highly unusual 'Galician Front' Russian Cross of St George group of five awarded to 2nd Lieutenant O. H. Young M.B.E., Royal Air Force, late Petty Officer and Flight Lieutenant, British Armoured Car Expeditionary Force, Royal Naval Air Service, an original member of the famous Band of Brothers who served alongside the Imperial Russian Army

British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. O. H. Young. R.A.F.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Russia, Imperial, Cross of the Order of St George, 4th Class Badge, silver, the reverse officially numbered '636113', mounted as worn, good very fine (5)

[M.B.E.] London Gaztte 1 January 1949:

'Senior Staff Officer, Admiralty.'

Russian Cross of St George, 4th Class confirmed in ADM 171/74 - and the Badge to be numbered '636113' - on 10 August 1917:

'For gallantry under fire & services rendered - Galician Front.'

Oswald Harry Young was born on 26 November 1897 at Yeoman St Bonsall, Mattock, Derbyshire and was elected to the Civil Service in August 1913. He worked at the Admiralty in this capacity from February-November 1915, at which point he lied about his age in order to enlist into the Royal Naval Air Service on 16 November 1915.

Completing his training at President II, he joined the Armoured Car Division (Russia) and served with the British Armoured Car Expeditionary Force, a unit which consisted of some 556 men.

As the Great War moved forward, it was clear there was no future for the Armoured Cars on the trench-filled Western Front. Thus, three Squadrons of were supposed to be sent by ship to Archangel in Russia to fight on the Eastern Front alongside the Imperial Russian Army under the command of Commander Commander Oliver Stillingfleet Locker-Lampson. However, sea ice prevented them from reaching Archangel, so the unit ended up at Alexandrovsk instead. Fighting alongside their comrades, they saw action in Galicia, Romania and the Caucasus Mountains.

Following their withdrawal, Young was duly commissioned and his Officer Records (AIR 76/567/10) note him as:

'Conversational Russian, Lewis & Maxim machine Gunner. Since joining R.F.C. has flown Caudron & Curtis.'

Eventually discharged in September 1919, Young returned to the Civil Service and by 1939 was a Higher Clerical Officer at the Admiralty, living at Poultry Farm, Hillrise, Chelmsford Road, Essex. He was awarded the M.B.E. in 1949 and died in October 1956; sold together with copied Service Records.

See http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/genealogy/RNACD/RNACD_Russian_Awards1.html for more details on Russian Awards made to the British Armoured Car Division in Russia.

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Sold for
£2,100

Starting price
£700