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A WW2 AIR FORCE CROSS GROUP TO A LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE. A PRE WAR PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, DURING WW2 HE FLEW HAWKER FURYS , HURRICANES AND FAIREY BATTLES WITH 2 AND 11 SQUADRONS SAAF IN. AIR FORCE CROSS, G. REVERSE OFFICIALLY DATED 1944; 1939-45 STAR, AFRICA STAR, DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS 1939-45, AFRICA SERVICE MEDAL, THE CAMPAIGN AWARDS ALL OFFICIALLY NAMED 203121 E. KELLY, EFFICIENCY MEDAL, G. 1ST ISSUE, UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA NO. London Gazette 1 January 1944. The original recommendation states. Kelly started as a Charter Pilot and qualified as an Instructor in 1937. Since then he has been employed on instruction, with the exception of a period when he served as an Operational Pilot in. Both as an Instructor and as an Operational Pilot he has shown undoubted ability. His devotion to duty has at all times been worthy of mention. Edward James Kelly was born in. On 28 January 1915, and was educated at. Studying Mining and Metallurgy, before being employed as a pre-War Charter Pilot at Johannesburg Light Aeroplane Club. He qualified as a Flying Instructor with the South African Air Force on 11 June 1937, and was commissioned Captain on 1 August 1940. He served during the Second World War with Nos. 2 and 11 Squadrons, South African Air Force, in East Africa from 2 November 1940, and, following the liberation of. Was involved in the attacks on the remaining elements of the Italian Air Force, taking part in the raid on the Italian stronghold of Dessie on 6 April 1941. The Italians had been retreating to Dessie, to the north of Addis Ababa, through country where just a single road cut through solid mountain, reaching 11,000 feet high at Mussolini Pass. No landing ground could be found in this area, and the nearest at Combolchia was still in Italian hands and nearly 250 miles from the capital. Dessie had been the scene of considerable military activity since the fall of the capital. The Duke of Aostas forces were using it as a base to prepare the last bastion to the north- Amba Alagis solitary heights where the Viceroy was to make his last stand. On the morning of 6 April 1941, the mountains lay clear. No storms raged in the passes as the bombers and their escort passed over to their targets. There were 22 attacking aircraft. The first wave of attackers, led by Captain E. Kelly, took off from Jijigga at 06:40 hours, followed ten minutes later by the second wave; each aircraft carried 52 20-pound fragmentation bombs. On arrival over Combolchia aerodrome the leader of the first wave, Kelly, observed an enemy fighter landing and two more about to take off. Although it was five minutes before the time ordered for the attack he dived down, destroyed the aircraft landing, and damaged the other two. As often as not, flying from makeshift desert airfields, in the harshest of conditions, during their time fighting in. The South African squadrons made a name for themselves and played a major role in defeating the Italian forces. No 2 squadron started their combat roll flying obsolete Hawker Furys and Gloster Gladiator, their few Hawker Hurricanes being the most modern type. They were only reequipped with more modern Tomahawks in mid 1941. In June 1941 as an Instructor at 23 and 27 Air Schools, Kelly subsequently served as Chief Flying Instructor at the Empire Central Flying School, U. From November 1943, and was advanced to temporary Lieutenant-Colonel on 15 November 1944. He relinquished his commission in March 1946, and was killed in a car accident in. Condition GVF, modern mounted – a fine gallantry group to an early South Africa Air Force pilot who saw action during the East Africa Campaign being Awarded the AFC for his service as both a combat pilot and instructor. PLEASE NOTE; If you have any questions and require more images please get in touch. SEE MY OTHER AUCTIONS FOR SIMILAR ITEMS. KEYWORDS: MEDAL MEDALS BOER KILLED WOUNDED BRIGADE AWARD CAPTAIN COMMANDER LIEUTENANT OFFICER KILLED WOUNDED 1815 AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND ANZAC AIF GALLANTRY SOMME YPRES GALLIPOLI LIGHT HORSE INFANTRY BATTALION. The item “WW2 1944 AIR FORCE CROSS AFC MEDAL GROUP EAST AFRICA 1940-41″ is in sale since Friday, September 6, 2019. This item is in the category “Collectables\Militaria\World War II (1939-1945)\Medals/ Ribbons”. The seller is “albatrosj1″ and is located in SCOTLAND. This item can be shipped worldwide.