Orders, Decorations and Medals

A very rare ‘Crowned Head’ A.F.M. group of four awarded to Squadron Leader H. Dingwall, Royal Air Force
Air Force Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue, crowned head (326355 Sgt. (Pilot), R.A.F.); Defence and War Medals; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (326355 Sgt., R.A.F.), together with his R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books for the period April 1921 to November 1943, with various enclosures including congratulatory letters and telegram, and a copy of the A.F.M. recommendation, good very fine (4)

A.F.M. London Gazette 3 June, 1935: Sergeant (Local Warrant Officer) (Pilot) Herbert George Dingwall, Royal Air Force (att. Egyptian Army Air Force). L.S. & G.C. awarded 9 January, 1937.
Approximately 20 George V crowned head A.F.M.’s were awarded.
The following information was extracted from his log books: Attended R.A.F. Cadet College, Cranwell, from April 1921, flying Avros, DH9A and Vickers Vimy. On 2 January, 1926, he completed the Long Course at No. 4 FTS at Abu Sueir, and on 22 February he was graded ‘above average’. In March 1926 he was posted to No. 45 (Bomber) Squadron at Hinaidi, Iraq, flying Vickers Vernon and Victoria aircraft; No. 70 (Bomber) Squadron, Hinaidi, January 1927; No. 58 (Bomber) Squadron, Worthy Down, October 1927. As pilot he won the Laurence Minot Trophy for 1929. In November 1931, he was posted to Hatfield Civil Aerodrome on secondment to the Egyptian Army Air Force, and in May 1932, he commenced the E.A.A.F. flight to Egypt. This flight, in a De Haviland Moth, with a Sergeant Martin as passenger, was from Hatfield to Lympne, Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Catania, Malta, Tripoli, Sirte, Bengasi, Tobruk, Mersa Matruh, and finally to Cairo. The total length on the trip was 3285 miles and it ended with a reception, held by H.M. King Fuad of Egypt, for the Flight of Avro X and Moth EIII to be based at Almaza. Dingwall served with the E.A.A.F. for four years, returning to the U.K. in January 1936, when he joined No. 3 School of Technical Training at Manston, flying a great variety of aircraft. In August 1942 he was posted to No. 8 Maintenance Unit at Little Rissington, and at the end of 1943 his log book shows that he was in West Africa. His log books record more than 1800 hours flying time.