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Auction: 23002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 136

The mounted K.B.E., C.B., Polish Cross of Valour group of thirteen miniature dress medals worn by Air Vice-Marshal Sir A. P. Davidson, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps and Highland Light Infantry

Davidson cut his teeth on the Western Front during the Great War before flying with great skill over Kurdistan in 1923; he survived several forced landings and was forced to climb peaks and walk through hostile enemy country in a 'blinding hail storm' to make the lines after a hair-raising crash landing in Snipe F2373 over the Spilik Dagh, he was lucky not to be cut down by rifle fire after his epic ordeal as '...I was wearing tartan trews which at a distance were not unlike the trousers worn by the Kurds'

Davidson added further laurels in the opening shots of the Second World War when he was Air Attaché to Warsaw and gave all he could to speed the supply of fighter aircraft to the Poles; sadly this was to no avail but it earned him the first Cross of Valour to be awarded on English soil and the acclaim and command of Polish Airmen in Britain

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, K.B.E. (Military) Knight Commander’s Badge; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s Badge; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaves; Iraq, Kingdom, Active Service Medal, without clasp; Poland, Republic, Cross of Valour with clasp, mounted as worn, good very fine (13)

For his full-size awards and a biographical note, please see Lot 121.

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Sold for
£300

Starting price
£250