Description
1902 Coronation Medal, Police Ambulance Service reverse, Pte. J. Hildrow. Very Rare, only 204 medals were issued to members of the Police Ambulance Service.
Officially engraved: “Pte. J. Hildrow”
A rather unusual surname, the only match for a “J. Hildrow” is John Norman Hildrow, from Islington, London, who at the time had been serving with the volunteers of the Middlesex Regiment, 21st Middlesex Rifles, and later served with the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps.
John Norman Hildrow was born on 11th April 1883 in London.
He served as a Volunteer Private with the 21st Middlesex Rifles, Middlesex Regiment Volunteers from 6th November 1900 until 1st April 1907.
During this time he must have volunteered for the Police Ambulance.
As a civilian he was a career Printer and Linotype Operator and Compositor living in Tottenham, London.
During WW1 he joined the Royal Naval Air Service on 30th July 1917 for the rest of the war, and also served in the Royal Flying Corps, before becoming part of the Royal Air Force in 1918.
Most of his service was spent at the RNAS Seaplane Station at Killingholme.
As he only served at home he was entitled to only the British War Medal for his war service.
He later died in 1964.
