Description
British Empire Medal, EIIR, in box of issue, Ronald Alexander Fisher, Assistant Superintendent of A B Machine Shop, Army Weapons Division, Stevenage, British Aerospace plc
Officially impressed: “RONALD ALEXANDER FISHER”
Unworn, mounted for wear as issued in Royal Mint case.
Ronald was awarded this BEM in the 1986 Queen’s Birthday Honours, having been recommended by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Accompanied by two official letters, one from his local MP, Tim Wood MP for Stevenage and one from 10 Downing Street, written by Principal Private Secretary to the PM Margaret Thatcher, Sir Nigel Leonard Wicks, which notes the “Queen has been graciously pleased to approve the Prime Minister’s recommendation that the B.E.M. be awarded to you.”
Ronald Alexander Fisher, 1922-1988, was born on 29th April 1922 in Brentford, Essex.
The son of George Henry Fisher and Doris Maud Fisher nee Roney.
As a young child about 1-2 years old his family moved to Hertfordshire, and he would remain there for most of his life.
As of 1939, he was a little young to serve at the time, living with his family in Hitchin, working as a “Centre Lathe Hand” his older brother was an RAF Sergeant Pilot.
It looks like once he became of age, he might have served in the Royal Navy in WW2, as a “P/JX 521128 Able Seaman Ronald Alexander Fisher” of Submarine HMS Venturer was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette 24th April 1945, for the 9th February 1945 “Gallantry, Judgement and skill in a successful patrol whilst serving in one of H.M. Submarines in Northern Waters”, for the sinking of a German Submarine.
The action can be read about here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Venturer_(P68)#Action_of_9_February_1945
As the war was ending he married Dorothy Eliza Amelia Snowdon in Hitchin during October 1945, remaining married until his death.
Not long after receiving his British Empire Medal, he died in Stevenage, Herts on 21st January 1988.
