To: 1834 / 200279 Pte-Flt/Sgt R. Woodborne. SOMERSET LIGHT INFANTRY & R.A.F. A SOLDIER & CARPENTER - RIGGER ......[BIOGRAPHY]--[ARMY] Robert Woodborne was born on 20th November 1893 at Carshalton, Croydon, Surrey. He was to have a long and very unusual military career in both the army & the Royal Air Force. While a member of both 2/4th & 1/4th Somerset Light Infantry he served in both Mesopotamia (6b) & France (1a). [CIVILIAN]He was officially disembodied on 8th August 1919 at age 25. He had apparently already returned to civilian life on 23rd June 1919 as a painter & decorator with paid employment with G.W. Bly in Taunton Somerset until 10th December 1921.[ROYAL AIR FORCE]Clearly, civilian life wasn't appealing to him and on 10th February 1922 he is seen re-mustering for the RAF on a 12 year engagement (7years regular & 5years reserve service) which was subsequently extended for a further 9 & 3 years. His initial 12 years took him up to 1934 at which time he received his RAF L.S.G.C. for 18 years combined service from his initial army enlistment in 1916... The extra 12 years took him up to 1946 at which time he was a senior Flt/Sgt Rigger of 53 years of age. After training & about four years service in various maintenance units from 1922 he is then seen during the years 1926 to 1928 serving on the front line with both 41 Squadron (RAF NORTHOLT) & 7 Squadron (RAF WORTHY DOWN ) near Winchester...throughout his RAF service he was trained and employed as a Carpenter - Rigger working on the repair & maintenance of the early wooden & canvas dope stressed airframes.[WORLD WAR II]-[BATTLE of FRANCE & BATTLE of BRITAIN]
Research is ongoing into Flt/Sgt Woodborne's WW2 service but we are 99.9% certain that his RAF career, by then as a senior & highly experienced carpenter-rigger, took him to Northern France in September 1939 with the Advanced Air Striking Force, probably with 501 Squadron (Hurricanes) who were based at RAF Filton (Bristol) in the immediate pre-war period. RAF Filton was only a short throw from his then home in the city of Bath where he had apparently married during the inter-war period. 
It was clearly for his work during this period that he was "Mentioned in Despatches" by C-in-C Fighter Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh C.T. DOWDING. Dowding's dispatch 37719 covered the period concerned with the work & supreme efforts of many hundreds of ground crew men and several famous fighter pilots being recognised and listed in the 1st January 1941 ( Battle of France & Battle of Britain ) Edition of The London Gazette. A Seriously good bi-service group of highly unusual & interesting awards to a man with long and clearly exemplary service in both the British Army & The Royal Air Force during two world wars. With awards Including the very scarce Territorial Force War Medal, an RAF (George V) Long Service Good Conduct Medal & Battle of Britain M.I.D. ROBERT WOODBORNE Died at Bath, Avon in 1970 aged 77."PER ARDVA AD ASTRA" Medals VF+ / EF on original ribbons. £875