Orders, Decorations and Medals

Six: Flight Lieutenant J. C. Muirhead, Royal Air Force and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; Air Efficiency Award, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.V.R.); France, Croix de Guerre 1939, mounted as worn, good very fine (6) £600-800

Campbell Muirhead was born in South Africa and was educated at Portobello Secondary School and George Herriot’s in Edinburgh. He joined the Royal Air Force soon after the outbreak of war, first serving as a ground gunner. Training to become a pilot, he failed the course in Arizona but determined to become aircrew, he then trained as a bomb aimer in Canada. As a Flying Officer he was posted to No. 12 Squadron, at Wickenby, Lincolnshire, in May 1944. During his training and then during his active service in Lancasters with 12 Squadron he recorded the events, day-by-day, in a diary which he was later to publish. He completed a tour of duty comprising 30 combat operations. For his wartime services he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre. In his book, he records (post 20 August 1944): ‘Opened this diary again to record award of French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star. This to me because, as I learned, 12 Squadron had extinguished its allocation of DFCs. Ah well, at least I got a kiss with mine. From a French General.’

With two books written by the recipient: Diary of a Bomb Aimer, Training in America and Flying with 12 Squadron in WWII, by Campbell Muirhead, edited and annotated by Philp Swan, this covering the period 2- February 1942-20 August 1944; together with The Diary of a Bomb Aimer, by Campbell Muirhead - and signed by the author, ‘For Keith, my younger son. Campbell Muirhead, 1st January 1987, Swinton, Duns, Berwickshire’, this covering the period 9 May 1944-20 August 1944; both with dustjackets. With a portrait photograph of the recipient in uniform. Also with photocopied relating to his service career.