Description
Member of the Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. Breast Badge on Military Issue Ladies Bow Ribbon, Africa Star, Defence and War Medal, Flight Officer Constance Alice Freeman nee Hand, WAAF, American from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
M.B.E. announced in the London Gazette, 1st January 1946.
Awarded with the following recommendation:
“Acting Flight Officer C. A. Hand (2550), 107 Maintenance Unit.
Flight Officer Hand has, for over a year, held the appointment of Senior W.A.A.F. ‘G’ Officer at this Unit, a combined Equipment Holding and Repair Maintenance Unit which has a considerable number of airwomen on its strength.
It has been largely due to her excellent example, sympathy and tact that such a good spirit exists among both British and locally enlisted airwomen who mix freely at the Unit. In addition, her interest in the welfare, living conditions and comfort of the personnel has been most marked and of valuable assistance to her Commanding Officer.
Flight Officer Hand’s untiring energy in promoting interest in the Arts and Crafts circle and the help she has given in organising the Group Arts and Crafts exhibition have also been noteworthy.
Her unselfish efforts have greatly contributed to the success of the scheme which has been the means of forming a practical foundation for vocational training in the E. V. T. Scheme in all Units of the Group.”
Provenance and Attribution:
The medals were formerly in the collection of Women’s Medals of the late Norman Gooding.
Included is the original Air Ministry medal issue box for her WW2 medals sent to her in Sussex.
Also Air Council Medal award slip.
And a photograph of her and her husband Arthur Cecil Freeman.
The reverse of the photograph dated 18th March 2000 is from Valerie Freeman, Constance’s Sister in Law which reads
:”Dear Mr Gooding, Success at last! I’m sorry its taken so long to find a photograph of my sister in law, Constance Freeman (with her Husband), Sincerely Valerie Freeman.”
Constance died during 1999, which would match the timing of the sale of her medals.
Flight Officer Constance Alice Freeman M.B.E. was born Constance Alice Hand on 23rd July 1908 at Kennett Square, Allegheny, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
She was the daughter of William Birch “Bert” Hand, and Charlotte Anne (Gosling), her originally English Parents Married during 1907 and first came to America around this time where they would raise their American Born Daughter in Pittsburgh.
During her early years she would travel back and forth every few years to England, presumably to visit family.
Constance was educated at Bryn Mawr College in PA, where the photo of her was taken as a young woman during 1930, for her School Yearbook.
She had first married Wesley Reed, of Philadelphia during 1937, but around the time of the war, she looks to have got a divorce and come to England to serve during the war, Wesley remarried during 1945.
During the Second World War, Constance was appointed as an Assistant Section Officer on probation in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force on 29th August 1941, with service number 2550.
Nominal index of Airmen and Airwomen notes: Appointed as a Class F Reservist, No 10 Essex Company, Enlisted into the Women’s Auxiliary Air force “They joined after March 1939”.
11th August 1942, promoted to War Substantive Section Officer, Women’s Auxiliary Air Force “G” Branch.
Whilst on service in North Africa, she was promoted to Acting Flight Officer.
After the end of the war she was released from service during 1946.
With the end of the war she chose to settle in England around Sussex and married Arthur Cecil Freeman (1907-1994) at Hove, Sussex during early 1947.
She lived a long life and later died in New Forest, Hampshire on 8th June 1999.
Her obituary in the Daily Telegraph reads:
“FREEMAN – Peacefully on June 8, 1999, Constance Alice Freeman MBE, of Quaker House Residential Home, New Milton, Hampshire. The much loved wife of the late Cecil. She will be very sadly missed…”
