A Unique, & Historically Important
“AIRMAN TO HIGH RANKING OFFICER”
Inter-War & WW2 Royal Air Force
Group of Nine

Order Of The British Empire (Military)
General Service Medal. GV
SOUTHERN DESERT IRAQ


India General Service Medal GVI
(North West Frontier 1936-37)
Africa (North Africa 1942-43)
Mentioned in Despatches (1941)
Long Service Good Conduct (GVI) RAF

No.70 Squadron RAF.

A truly wonderful RAF group of Nine.
A unique combination to a man who climbed the ranks from a basic airman to the rank of wing commander.

To:
357051 L.A.C. - Wg CDr. GEORGE DALINGROSS DEUCHARS. R.A.F.

George Deuchars was a Scotsman born on 11th November 1905. H joined the RAF as an Adult Airman trainee signaller at about the age of 17 in c,1922 and it is assumed that he undertook his initial trade training during the mid-1920’s at The School of Technical Training at RAF Cranwell as it didn’t close until August 1929 when it moved to RAF Halton.









[THE MEDALS]

OBE (Military)

G.S.M. (GV) “ SOUTHERN DESERT IRAQ ”
(ex-Rare)
357051. L.A.C. G.D. DEUCHARS. R.A.F.
(officially impressed)

I.G.S. (GVI) NORTH WEST FRONTIER 1936-37”
357051. SGT. G.D. DEUCHARS. R.A.F.
(officially impressed)

1939-45 Star
AFRICA STAR “N.AFRICA 1942-43”
DEFENCE MEDAL 1939-45
WAR MEDAL 1939-45
(Mentioned in Despatches)-1941
(All unnamed as issued)

L.S.G.C. (GVI)
ACT. FLT. LT. G.D. DEUCHARS. R.A.F.
(Officially Engraved)

[No.70 SQUADRON R.A.F.]
In December 1921 No.70 squadron moved from Egypt to Iraq and was instrumental in setting up the mail route from Cairo to Baghdad and onward to India.

[THE KABUL AIRLIFT 1928]
”THE WORLD’S FIRST MASS EVACUATION BY AIR”
In December 1928, a coup against the Amir of Afghanistan by Habibullah Kalakani supported by Ghilzai peoples led to the first ever large scale air evacuation, known as the Kabul Airlift. Over a period of two months the RAF Victoria troop-carriers of No.70 squadron played a central role in the airlift out of Afghanistan of 586 British and European officials and civilians. George Deuchars took an active roll as an L.A.C. signaller during this operation.
The squadron’s twin engine bi-plane transport aircraft succeeded in carrying out a near miracle as they flew over the Afghan mountains at a height of up to 10,000 ft often in severe weather.

70(BT)Sqn sent a detachment of four Valentia transport (bombers) to Risaplur at the request of the AOC India for phase 2 of the 1936-37 campaign against the tribes (January to September 1937) and the crews therefore qualified for the IGS with the '36-37 clasp.

It is perhaps ironic that the RAF has yet again only recently assisted in the mass evacuation of British & European officials and civilians from Afghanistan during the American & Allied withdrawal.

The Squadron left Iraq in August 1939 moving to Helwan, Egypt where In 1940 the unit converted to a heavy bomber unit equipped with Wellingtons. During the war the Squadron's bases moved with the battlefront of the desert armies across North Africa and in December 1943 it moved north into Italy with the invading army, where it remained until the end of the war. In October 1945 the squadron moved back to the Middle East where it disbanded on 31 March 1946.

[POST WAR SERVICE] 1946-1966
In his later life after WW2 he became a civilian communications specialist & was the Senior Signals Officer for United Kingdom Civil Aviation Telecommunications, (Ministry of Aviation Technical Staff). In this capacity and from about May 1946 (while still known as Wing Commander Deuchars) he was greatly involved in the civilianisation of ex-RAF Scottish airfields after the war which included much work surrounding the airfields at Edinburgh,Turnhouse & Aberdeen, Dyce airports.

He officially retired from the RAF on 17th February 1946, George Deuchars travelled to Northern Rhodesia where he was resident in 1954 as an electrical engineer. He later emigrated to South Africa & was resided in Durban where in 1966 at the age of 60 he received a letter from M.O.D. releasing him from all further service commitments with the RAF.

Much further research is possible with this group.







This is a truly rare and greatly outstanding Inter-War “OBE” and “Southern Desert Iraq” & “North West Frontier”, WW2 group of the greatest historical importance. Awarded to a long serving airman who started at the very bottom of the RAF structure as a basic airman and rose to the rank of Wing Commander.

£5550 (With quality part-exchanges welcome)