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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 231

The very rare 'Barzan 1932' Iraq Gallantry Medal group of four awarded to Aircraftman First Class C.E. Pearson, Royal Air Force

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Northern Kurdistan (506656. A.C.1. C.E. Pearson. R.A.F.); Jubilee 1935; Iraq, Kingdom, Gallantry Medal, 2nd Type, reverse naming engraved in Arabic (translates to 'Air Soldier, K. Pearson, 364303'), mounted together as worn, with King's Medal, G.V.R., 1 clasp, 1919-20 (E. Pearson), very fine (4)

Approximately 65 officers and 280 airmen were awarded the ‘Northern Kurdistan’ clasp.

Date of Iraqi award:
Iraq Government Gazette 25 December 1932, Royal Irada No. 333, “for their excellent bravery during the military operations in the Barzan area in 1932”:

No. 506656 LAC K.S.J. RANCOMBE, 30 Squadron, RAF
No. 364393 AC1 C.E. PEARSON, 30 Squadron, RAF.

Charles Evan Pearson was born in Fulham, London on 9 June 1909, the son of Thomas Pearson of Kilmarnock, Scotland, a veteran of Sudan and the Great War, late Grenadier Guards (2623) and Welsh Guards (819). The young Pearson followed in his father's footsteps and embarked on a military career upon joining the Royal Air Force on 17 August 1927 for a twelve year period of engagement. He was a Wireless Operator and his terms of service were 8 years with the Colours and 4 years on the reserve, so he had been well and truly 'out' before the outbreak of war in 1939. He appears in the 1939 register living with his wife Sylvia at Castle Ward, Northumberland, where he is described as working with the Air Ministry Radio Operator Signals Department. He later died at the age of 64 on 5 August 1973 and was interred, along with his wife, at Dankeith Cemetery in Dundonald, Ayrshire, Scotland; sold together with copied research.

Aircraftsman Pearson's Iraq Gallantry Medal bears his name, but the initial 'K' of his fellow recipient of the award L.A.C. K.S.J. Rancome, and it also bears Rancome's number. Conversely Rancome's medal bears Pearson's initial C.E and Person's RAF number 506656. This mix up is due to the R.A.F. Air Headquarters, Iraq Command in Hinaidi who confused the initials and numbers.


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Sold for
£3,000

Starting price
£1800