Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Corporal E. R. Wright, Balloon Branch, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, all privately namedy ‘840933 L.A.C. E. R. Wright RAUXAF; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (840933 LAC E R Wright RAUXAF) extremely fine (5) £180-£220

Ernest Ralph Wright was born in Streatham, London, in 1907 and joined the Auxiliary Air Force prior to the Second World War, being called up to serve in the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class with 902 (City of London) (Balloon) Squadron on 23 August 1939. He served from 26 August 1939 to 6 November 1945 including overseas service with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and Central Mediterranean Force from 15 August 1941 to 28 September 1945. Corporal Wright’s discharge book is stamped ‘Balloon Training Unit, 5 November 1945 R.A.F. Cardington’.

Sold with the recipient’s Royal Air Force Service and Release Book in a manila envelope addressed to 840933 Cpl. Wright, E. R., 30 Westcote Road, Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London, S.W.16, this with an entry confirming entitlement to Second War medals; four personal letters of reference, two dated 20 March 1924, possibly used in support of the recipient’s application to join the Auxiliary Air Force, one of these from the recipient’s employer of five years, W. H. Smith & Son, Streatham Railway Station, and two dated 4 January 1962, one from the recipient’s supervisor at the London Telephone Service; Auxiliary Air Force Notice of Calling Out dated 23 August 1939; three original, reverse captioned, photographs (with enlarged copies) of the recipient in uniform, one a studio portrait taken in Italy in 1943, the other two being of three airmen, including the recipient, taken in North Africa circa November 1941; and a Royal Air Force sweetheart brooch.

Note: Barrage balloons were used for the defence of the Egyptian port of Alexandria during the Second World War, being under the control and administration of Royal Air Force personnel. These personnel were later to move these defence measures to Italian ports after the allied landings in 1943.