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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 258

(x) A rare Great War M.S.M. and Serbian Medal for Bravery group of six awarded to Chief Mechanic H. Miller, Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, whose squadron provided vital air support for none other than 'Lawrence of Arabia' in the Middle East

1914-15 Star (1513 A.M. 1 H. Miller R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (1513 F. Sgt. H. Miller, R.A.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (1513 F.-Sgt. H. Miller, R.A.F.); Royal Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (1513 Flt. Sjt. H. Miller, R.A.F.); Serbia, Kingdom, Obilich Medal for Bravery, silver, minor official correction to fourth, good very fine (6)

M.S.M. London Gazette 3 June 1919 (India).

Serbian Obilich Medal for Bravery London Gazette 15 February 1917.

Harry Miller was born in Gloucester on 6 August 1890 and enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps as an Air Mechanic 2 in August 1914. His service record has only one unit appointment for the entire Great War, namely No. 14 Squadron.

The squadron was formed at Shoreham in February 1915, a month before Miller's advancement to Air Mechanic 1, and was embarked for the Middle East as an Army co-operation unit at the end of the year. Thereafter it flew operationally in the Sinai and Palestine campaigns.

In late October 1916, 'C' Flight was deployed to the Hejaz region of western Arabia in support of Colonel T. E. Lawrence and fighters of the Arab Revolt. They found that conditions and terrain were somewhat harsher in the Hejaz even than the Western Desert had been for 'B' Flight. Nevertheless, in six months of operations, the Flight was able to provide valuable reconnaissance for Lawrence as well as carrying out bombing attacks on Turkish facilities in the Hejaz.

The Squadron continued to support the Army advance through Palestine and onwards towards Damascus up until the Turkish Armistice which was signed at the end of October 1918.

Miller - who had been advanced to Sergeant in February 1917 - was re-mustered as a Sergeant Mechanic on the formation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918. Having then witnessed further active service in the Third Afghan War, he was discharged to the reserve as a Chief Mechanic in December 1919; sold with copied article, Lawrence's Air Force, by Peter Wright and Roger Bragger.



Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£1,900

Starting price
£480