Description
Observer Corps Medal, with long service clasp, Woman Observer Patricia Jane Whitehorn nee Welfare, rare clasp to a Woman, who married a man who also earned the medal and clasp.
Officially impressed: “Observer P J Whitehorn”
Entitlement confirmed in the book, earning the medal with 10 Group in 1979 and her additional service clasp during 1991.
Very rare to a Woman, about 14300 medals were earned in total during the lifetime of this medal, with only 1419 going to Women.
However only 3042 clasps were issued in total, only 251 of them being to Women.
Only 2 Whitehorn’s received this medal, the other being her Husband, Keith Melling Whitehorn, who earned his medal in 1971 and the clasp in 1983.
He died in 1989 but his wife continued on to earn the clasp and continue their work.
Patricia Jane Whitehorn was born Patricia Jane Jolliffe in Liskeard Cornwall circa 1932.
She married Michael A. Welfare during 1953 in Surrey South Eastern, becoming Patricia Welfare.
She then married Keith Melling Whitehorn during 1969 in Truro, Cornwall.
It looks like after her divorce she returned home to Cornwall, Keith was a Londoner who had moved to Cornwall.
No 10 Group used to be in Cornwall but was closed in 1973, which seems to be why she earned her medal with No 10 Group supposedly based in Exeter.
According to her medal issue she had joined the Observer Corps around 1967, so it looks they either met in the Observer Corps, both of them being divorced at the time or he encouraged her to join as he always seems to have been interesting in such local volunteering efforts.
The Surrey Mirror 24th April 1959 features a photo of Keith when he ran in the local election it reads:
“KEITH MELLING WHITEHORN, Technical Engineer.
One of the novice candidates, Mr Keith Whitehorn, is a young technical engineer, aged 31, living in Weald Way, Woodhatch. Since he came to the Borough from Epsom 3 years ago, he has taken a great interest in local affairs, he is a member of the St John Ambulance Brigade and of the Reigate Home Guard Rifle Club. Professionally he is an Associate Member of the Junior Institute of Engineers. At one time he was an active member of the Young Conservatives.”
After the death of her Husband she carried on the Observer Corps to earn her additional service clasp, the Corps was disbanded in 1996 not long afterwards.
She remarried to Robert Teasdale in Truro, Cornwall during 1999.
She died during mid 2000 in Truro, not long after her marriage.
