Need a help: British awards in period of BoB.

[jaqbovsky]

Hi!

It's my first post here and i must say: "You forgot Poland"!

In BoB period many polish RAF sqadrons pilots and foregin pilots too, awarded from Polish Government in Exile (I mean Polish Commander-in-Chief gen. W. Sikorski).

I'm not history expert but I know few military awards that, i post here few wiki links... sorry bout' that...

Polish Military Awards given in 1940r:

Nice page: http://home.golden.net/~medals/exile.html

Virtuti Militari Cross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuti_Militari


Here is translate page(from polish) about this award in Polish Air Force during WW II:
http://translate.google.pl/translate...ml&sl=pl&tl=en
Cross have 5 classes and Star(in I class).
Dimensions:

I class = Grand Cross with Star (Wielki)– 62 x 62 mm; crown 30 x 36 mm,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rand_Cross.jpg
http://home.golden.net/~medals/0267.jpg
Star
http://home.golden.net/~medals/0269.jpg

II class - Commander's Cross (Komandorski) – 54 x 54 mm; crown 23 x 33 mm,
http://home.golden.net/~medals/00272a00.jpg
http://home.golden.net/~medals/00272r00.jpg

III class - Knight's Cross (Kawalerski) - 44 x 44 mm,
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...1939-roku_3875

IV class - Golden Cross – 39 x 39 mm,
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._from_1813.png

V class - Silver Cross – 38 x 38 mm.
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...1939-roku_3803
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...1939-roku_3802

I think in game would be only IV and V class... and maybe III... II and I class cross is very important award so i think there was imposslible to award normal pilot, not commander,

Cross of Valour
The medal was introduced at the height of the Polish-Soviet War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Valour_(Poland)
It is most 'common' military award in BoB period, similar to Silver Star, Croix de Guerre and Iron Cross.

In January 1940 the Polish Commander-in-Chief, Władysław Sikorski, issued an order reintroducing the Cross of Valour.

Important is the date 1920 at the bottom of cross.
Photos:
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...1939-roku_2608
http://historia.wiszowaty.pl/wiszowa...walecznych.jpg
http://www.muzeum-ak.krakow.pl/odzna...alecznychn.jpg

Cross of Merit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Merit_(Poland)
It is civil medal but it was given to militarymen too. But When gov ordered Cross of Merit with Swords in 1942 it is back to civil nature http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Merit_with_Swords.

Wound Badge
Similar to Purple Heart Medal.
Injured 1 time
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...iazdki_BAR.png
Injured 2 times
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...iazdki_BAR.png
Injured 3 times
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...iazdka_BAR.png

Medal za Ratowanie Ginących(rescue of "dying people")
Civil and military award for rescue of "dying people" (Ginących). For saveing polish peoples in Poland and in other countries.
Polish wiki source: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_z..._Gin%C4%85cych

Air Force Service Medal 1939-1945
After war award for a 6 months in front service and 12 months out of front.
http://www.ww2awards.com/award/168
Polish: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_Lotniczy

Order for a long duty:
Here is orginal order for infantrymen from 1938'
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...1939-roku_2556

Insignia Flying Personnel:
I think it's similar in 1940. But if someone hv better knowledge about that, i would agree with...
Translate from polish:
http://translate.google.pl/translate...39&sl=pl&tl=en
Photos:
http://forum.valka.cz/attachments/6967/skalski8.jpg
http://www.numizmatyka.waw.pl/sklep/...-1939-roku_275

I think when in Battle of Britain Polish RAF 303sq was one of the best RAF squadron (if not the Best of all RAF squadrons in BoB period of course..) would be nice to see that kind of military awards.

Example:
Josef František was awarded:
czech War cross 1939
czech Medal for Bravery
czech War Medal "Za Zasługi" II class
pol Silver cross War Award Virtuti Militarii
pol Cross of Valour - 3 times
British Distinguished Flying Medal - 2 times (DFM with Bar) - as a first no british
British 1939-1945 Star with (klamrą?) "Battle of Britain"
Fr War Cross (Croix de Guerre)


Sorry for my very bad EN.

[deadmeat313]

The Victoria Cross should only VERY rarely be awarded. Actually, you'd be better off not including it as a possible award at all, than to have it awarded too easily.

I'd hate to finish a sortie, read the debrief and think "Oh, I've won a VC. That's nice." The vast majority of British servicemen and women would never see such an award, and to have one pop up mid-campaign would be incongruous to say the least.

I like the sound of "Mentioned in Despatches" though. That has a nice ring to it.

T

[Icewolf]

only one Victoria Cross was awarded during the Battle of Britain that involved 3,000 pilots
"Flight Lieutenant J.B. Nicolson of 249 Squadron"

[KG26_Alpha]

Originally Posted by Icewolf

only one Victoria Cross was awarded during the Battle of Britain that involved 3,000 pilots
"Flight Lieutenant J.B. Nicolson of 249 Squadron"

I think he deserves a full write up

On August 16th 1940, 23-year-old Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson of No. 249 Squadron was scrambled from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, flying Hurricane P3576 of Red Section with Squadron Leader Eric King and Pilot Officer Martyn King

The pilots were to intercept and attack BF110's approaching Southampton from Gosport where a large raid was building up. The invaders had been sighted and Red Section dived towards the BF110's when, suddenly, a Staffel of BF109's jumped them from above. All three Hurricanes were hit.

Squadron Leader King, the least badly damaged, broke off his attack and returned to Boscombe Down. Pilot Officer King abandoned his burning Hurricane and baled out.

Four cannon shells hit Flight Lieutenant Nicolson's aircraft. One destroyed the perspex hood subsequently damaging his left eye and temporarily blinding him with blood. The reserve petrol tank was also struck along with his left leg. The Hurricane was now ablaze with the instrument panel melting, his hands blistering from the heat and his trousers on fire
Whilst preparing to bale out, a BF110 appeared in front of him. He slid back into his burning cockpit and continued flying the Hurricane after the enemy. Closing in, Nicolson opened fire and although the BF110 took evasive action to avoid the bullets, it was sent crashing into the sea
Finally baling out of his stricken aircraft, Nicolson had sustained severe burns to his hands, parts of his face, his eyelid was torn and his foot badly wounded. His ordeal however, was not quite over.

While descending towards the ground some Local Defence Volunteers (LVD), under orders, opened fire with rifles at what they believed to be enemy parachutists. Pilot Officer King had his parachute badly damaged and plummeted to his death. Flight Lieutenant Nicolson, in great pain, landed alive with further wounds received from shotgun pellets
He was rushed to The Royal Southampton Hospital where he made a full recovery and returned to active duty during late 1941.

His bravery and disregard for his own life in defence of his country earned him the Victoria Cross, which was awarded on 15th November 1940.

Tragically, he went missing while flying as a passenger in Liberator over the Bay of Bengal on 2nd May 1945.

------------------------------

[Icewolf]

Hello
Oleg

here is the WEB SITE where you can find all the information that you need.
it has all of the awards and the critera needed ( incomplete)

in some case of course like the George Cross/medal which you would not use because it was instituted June 24th, 1941.
there is no reason why you couldn't use the Military Cross normally given for ground action but there are pilots who were awared this honor


http://www.ww2awards.com/ EDIT : after further research there are some errors on this web site

I have done a lot more research and have found a very credible web source,I am in the process of gathering this information and will post shortly

BUZZSAW is only partially correct in his post but he got me started in doing a much more through research

[Icewolf]

http://www.wauchope.ca/~flanders/Bri... including.doc

I believe this document is accurate up to OCTOBER 1940.... if anyone finds errors ...please post corrections for Oleg
I left Buzzsaws description of dispatches out of this DOC file ,he describes it much better than I

as you look through this document you will see, as Buzzsaw described, that rank played an important part in what awards a person recieved

[brando]

Please note that no-one would be awarded the 1939-45 medal or star until AFTER the war! In fact it's worth noting that many of the medals listed were not presented until after hostilities had ceased. Medals for acts of gallantry are the exception here - being awarded while the war was ongoing - but there was usually a gap of months between the act and the investiture.

[*Buzzsaw*]

Originally Posted by Icewolf

in some case of course like the George Cross/medal which you would not use because it was instituted June 24th, 1941.
there is no reason why you couldn't use the Military Cross normally given for ground action but there are pilots who were awared this honor

The George Cross is only awarded to civilians, not to Military Pilots. It is the equivalent of the VC for a civilian.

The Military Cross was not awarded to any RAF pilots in WWII. It was a British Army award, and was only awarded to Royal Flying Corps pilots in WWI, during the period when the RFC was still part of the British Army. When the Royal Airforce was created in 1918, a new set of Airforce awards were created. The Military Cross was replaced with the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Miltary Medal for noncoms was replaced with the Distinguished Flying Medal.

[Icewolf]

the George Cross and Military cross could be awarded to military personnel.
Pilots from both Canada and New Zealand recieved these awards but again there are circumstances different from the other awards than action in the sky