Our artefacts and online collection of gallantry medals and citations awarded to members of the RAF Regiment from its formation in 1942 to the present day.
By early 1943 the RAF Regt units which had landed in North West Africa, as part of Operation TORCH, were well established. They had been allotted to RAF fighter and light bomber Wings, defending advanced landing grounds.
One such unit was No 2744 Field Squadron which, together with No 4091 AA Flight was responsible for the airfields at Bône and Souk el Arba defending No 324 Fighter Wing.
83371 Flight Lieutenant Arthur Cuthbert Langham MC.
In addition to the 5 RAF Regiment Field Squadrons which landed in NW Africa, as part of Operation TORCH in November 1942, there were also 48 officers and 1519 men of the RAF Regiment who were attached to other units of the RAF.
These units were formed into flights and provided defence for RAF fighter wings and air installations – exactly the strategically-important roles for which the RAF Regiment had been formed.
In September 1944, No 2721 Field Squadron were acting in an infantry role on the Eighth Army’s front in Italy. On 2 October, the Squadron took over the commitments of the 8th Manchester Regiment with the Lovat Scouts on their right flank.
Corporal George Henry Freeman was awarded the British Empire Medal (Military Division) for gallantry. As such it was the first award made to a Gunner for gallantry after the formation of the RAF Regiment 1 February 1942. His citation was published in the London Gazette dated 10 July 1942.
AC 1 O’Neill’s DSM is unique amongst all awards to RAF Regiment Gunners, in that he was awarded a Royal Navy other-ranks decoration for gallantry at sea.
By direction of the President, under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, the Soldiers Medal was awarded by the Theatre Commander to each of the following named enlisted men of 2867 LAA Squadron RAF Regiment for heroism on 26 Feb 1944 at Fomi, Ponza.
At 1430hrs on 12 Jan 1957, Flt Lt Calvert of A Flight No 10 Armoured Car Squadron (Aden Protectorate Levies) was in command of his section of Ferret Armoured Cars.
During enemy air attacks on the Greek island of Kos, during September and October 1943, Leading Aircraftman Tucker was No 1 gunner on an anti-aircraft gun (Hispano) which formed part of the defences of Antimachia airfield.
Acting Squadron Leader Godfrey served as the Staff Officer to the Command RAF Regiment Officer (Colonel R Preston) when No 83 Group (later 83 Expeditionary Air Group) sailed with the first assaulting troops on D-Day 6 June 1944.
The lack of political cohesion in the region made the South Arabian scene very confused, with fragmented, rival groups contending for power in the Yemen. Some tribes such as the Upper Yafai were out of reach of any power block. Consequently, members of the Yafai tribe were highly valued members of the Aden Protectorate Levies (APL) predominantly for their reliability and independence.