Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The General Service Medal awarded to Driver D. N. Henderson, 55 Air Despatch, Royal Army Service Corps, later Royal Corps of Transport

General Service 1962-2007, 3 clasps, Borneo, South Arabia, Northern Ireland (T/23886787 Dvr. D. N. Hefferman. RASC.) edge nicks and light contact marks, very fine, scarce to unit £100-£140

David Nigel Anthony Hefferman was born in Hendon, London in 1945. Attesting for the Royal Army Service Corps, he served in Borneo as part of the Airborne 55 Company Air Despatch. During 1964 the Indonesian ‘Confrontation’ seemed to bring yet more work for the despatchers. On some occasions aircraft returned from having dropped supplies to their bases in Borneo with bullet holes from small arms fire on the aircraft. Additionally despatchers found themselves building sandbag shelters and learning to operate Oerlikon Guns for airfield defence. At the start of November 1964 his Company was ordered to stand by four despatch crews for an undisclosed task. Two days later twenty-six NCOs and men flew over Indonesian bases and two and half million leaflets were despatched which bore a message from a surrendered Indonesian officer. The Malaysian Prime Minister, Tanglm Abdul Rahman, described the operation as ‘a great success’. Whilst out there the Royal Army Service became the Royal Corp of Transport in 1965, his unit being re-titled 55 Air Despatch Squadron. This included the taking over of the Heavy Drops carried out by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was part of the Squadron’s football team and by 1975 he was playing for the R.C.T. Team.

The Restricted December 1975 Post Tour Report of the 55 Squadron in Northern Ireland looked at improvements in equipment and how further training could help the Troop with security such as driving duties and operations in the infantry role such as weekly patrolling. At the time they were based in Antrim and the placing of single Troops seemed to be more efficient and effective than placing the whole Squadron.

Hefferman later lived in Haringey in London, High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, and Truro in Cornwall.

The medal is correctly named to Hefferman, not Henderson, and the footnote is correct for the recipient