Description
Military Medal, GV, 11843 1st Class Airman, G.H. Haycraft, Royal Air Force, one of only 92 issued.
Officially impressed: “11843 1/CL: A.M. G.M. HAYCRAFT R.A.F.”
Extremely rare, during World War 1 there was about 115,577 issues of the Military Medal, the Royal Naval Division received about 555 medals, the Royal Navy about 570 medals.
To the Aerial Forces, 167 medals and 2 bars were issued to the Royal Flying Corps, with only 92 being issued to the Royal Air Force and 6 to the Australian Flying Corps.]
George Norman Haycraft was decorated with the Military Medal, announced in the London Gazette on 16th July 1918.
At the time he was serving as a Wireless Operator on attachment to the 136th Heavy Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 16th July 1918 reads: “11843 1st Cl A.M. G.M. Haycraft, R.A.F. (Canonbury, London)” Which appears to be the source of the slightly incorrect middle initial on the medal also matching the entry on his MM card.
According to British Gallantry Awards by Abbott and Tamplin:
“Many of the original First World War recommendations for men of the R.F.C. and R.A.F. serving in France and Belgium are preserved in the Honours and Awards field in the Public Record Office series A 1.”
George Norman Haycraft, sometimes Haycroft, was born on 23rd July 1893 in Edmonton, Middlesex, the son of James Tolman Bradnack Haycraft and Augusta Helena Law.
He interrupted his work as a Clerk to attest with the Royal Flying Corps on 29th October 1915, being trained as a Wireless Operator.
He served in France from 24th November 1916 onwards.
Promotions:
Enlisted 2/AM, 29th October 1915
Appointed 1/AM, 1st March 1915
Transferred to RAF as AM/1 1st April 1918
Appointed Acting Corporal Mechanic, 11th June 1918
Reverted to Acting Mechanic 1st Class (at own request), 6th November 1918.
Obituary in the Sevenoaks Chronicle, 20th January 1973:
“MR G.N. HAYCRAFT
Mr George Norman Haycraft, of 21 Marlborough Crescent, Sevenoaks, died in a nursing home on Thursday of last week, aged 79.
Mr Haycraft who was a bachelor had lived in Sevenoaks for many years.
Cremation was at Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday. Arrangements by W. Hodges and Co.”
During the war, his older brother Leonard Courtenay Haycraft would be killed in action on 7th October 1916 serving with the 4th London Regiment.
