Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Attributed to Flying Officer R. G. Berry, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who later served attached to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in the post-War reconstruction period, and was later an employee of the British Broadcasting Corporation

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with Air Council enclosure, nearly extremely fine (4)

Raoul Geoffrey Berry was born in 1909. He enlisted at Uxbridge between September 1939 and June 1940, and served during the Second World War as Corporal (No. 90391) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, being commissioned Pilot Officer (on probation) in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch, on 28 November 1941, but with seniority from 27 August 1941. He was later promoted to War Substantive Flying Officer with seniority from 1 October 1942. He remained in the R.A.F.V.R. Emergency Reserve until relinquishing his commission from the R.A.F.V.R. Emergency List, on 10 August 1954, retaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He was seconded for service with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (U.N.R.R.A.) in the post war re-construction period and seems to have been based in Warsaw and in Bremen. He later worked with the B.B.C. He died at King’s Lynn, Norfolk, on 26 January 2001.

Sold with a faded luggage label named to ‘F/Lt R. G. Berry, Photo Correspondent, U.N.R.R.A.’; two scarce red felt U.N.R.R.A. white embroidered shoulder titles; two R.A.F. buff rank slides for a Flight Lieutenant; single R.A.F.V.R. Pilot Officer rank epaulette; a photograph believed to be of the recipient together with an American U.N.R.R.A. colleague; several official U.N.R.R.A. photographs taken in Bremen and Warsaw, in particular relating to anti-smuggling operations 1946-47; and a luxury leather bound autograph book bearing the gilt blocked crest and motto of the British Broadcasting Corporation and additionally named to ‘Raoul Berry’, containing numerous signatures and retirement messages from his colleagues at the B.B.C.