FIRST CLASS AIR MECHANIC T. SOLAN, ROYAL AIR FORCE (LATE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY AND BLACK W

FIRST CLASS AIR MECHANIC T. SOLAN, ROYAL FLYING CORPS AND ROYAL AIR FORCE (LATE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY AND BLACK WATCH). Four: 1914-15 Star (officially named, impressed in plain block capitals: 10849 1 AM T SOLAN RAF); British War and Victory Medals (officially named, both medals impressed in plain block capitals: 108494 1 AM T SOLAN RAF); Silver War Badge (reverse officially impressed in plain block capitals: RAF10656). A late issue set of medals issued circa 7th April 1982, Extremely Fine, virtually as struck, and with original ribbons.

Group accompanied by extract from 1911 census, copied Medal Index Card, 2 pages of photocopied service papers and Deaths Index details.

Thomas Solan was born 29th April 1890 in Brandon Colliery, county Durham. At the time of the 1911 census he was living at 9 South Street, Brandon Colliery, with his parents, Thomas and Ellen Solan, and five younger brothers and sisters. A miner by trade and a Roman Catholic, Solan originally enlisted into the army on 23rd September 1914, among the first wave of civilian , non-territorial force, recruits to step forward and volunteer for active service following the 11th August 1914 call for volunteers.. At the time of enlistment he was 24 years and 4 months of age and was a married man, who gave his next of kin as his wife, Mary Solan, of 41 South Street, Brandon Colliery, county Durham . Medal Index Card records initial service as a Lance Corporal with the Durham Light Infantry and that Solan first saw active service in France and Flanders, entering that theatre of operations on 11th September 1915 (Solan presumably saw service with the 14th or 15th Battalions Durham Light Infantry, both of whom landed at Boulogne as units on 11/9/1915). Royal Flying Corps service papers confirm that Solan subsequently saw service with the 3rd Battalion Black Watch, Solan transferring from the Black Watch to the Royal Flying Corps on 30th August 1917, with the rank of 3rd Class Air Mechanic. He was promoted 2nd Class Air Mechanic, 1st February 1918 and 1st Class Air Mechanic, 1st March 1918. Solan transferred to the Royal Air Force on its creation, with the rank of Private, on 1st April 1918 and was transferred to the class “F(P)” Royal Air Force Reserve on 21st November 1918, being finally discharged on 14th December 1918 after 4 years and 83 days service with the colours (and of this, Solan saw service in France with the Royal Flying Corps and RAF from 30/8/1917 to 12/11/1918). Service papers record Solan as having been “wounded, concussion”, in 1917, and was awarded a Silver War Badge on 30th March 1920. Thomas Solan died at Durham in 1973.

The lack of full stops in the naming details on Solan’s medals indicates that they are a late issue set. The date “7 APR 1982″ is hand stamped in red on Solan’s Medal Index Card, presumably indicating that his medals were issued to his family in 1982, almost ten years after Solan”s death in 1973, Solan’s family having applied for the medals possibly because he was never issued any medals in the first place.