MaxD Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 LT George Henry Bell RFC has two entries on his record stating Mention in Despatches with LG 13/3/18 noted alongside. I can't find a Gazette for 13 Mar 18 or a later Gazette with a 13 Mar list. Are there sharper eyes than mine out there please? MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgun1918 Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 MaxD The following notification appeared in "Flight" of 21 March 1918: "Mentioned in Despatches." IT was announced by the War Office on March 13th that the names of the following have been brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the war, and when applicable an entry will be made in the records of service of officers and other ranks :— and included 2nd Lieut (Temp Lieut) H G Bell; Royal Flying Corps, Special Reserve. So far I have as much success as you in tracking a Gazette that contains the list. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 22 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Graeme - Many thanks indeed. "Flight" makes sense in that he had been heavily involved in the aircraft side of things. Is there anything in the preamble that indicates his area of endeavour, I would expect the Aircraft Inspection Department (thanks to an eariier response on an related thread). Meanwhile there are Gazettes to peruse! MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 I wonder whether it might have been a Class B mention? If so, it would have been published in The Times, rather than the London Gazette and he would not have been authorized to wear the emblem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 I have been able to verify that there is a Class B mention list "for valuable services rendered in connection with the War" dated 13 March 1918 and published in The Times on 15 and 16 March 1918 (see the article in the Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society Summer 1978, pages 107-115). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 22 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2016 Thank you very much indeed for taking the time to hunt down that additional information, that's great. Found it in the Times archive thanks to you. Is the Journal article relevant to the man or of more general interest - I don't have access to those Journals? (I am happy to accept that the note on his record saying Gazette was an error made perhaps in anticipation of an entry that wasn't going to be made). MaxD Could you perhaps just define Class B - I can't find a definition anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 22 May , 2016 Share Posted 22 May , 2016 MaxD: The article is about the Class B mention and lists all of The Times listings of those mentions - it does contain the names mentioned on those lists. Class B mentions were mentions by the Secretary of State for War for those who were not serving in a theatre of war. Most were for service in the UK but also for Malta, Gibraltar, Hong Kong and other members of the British Empire. As mentioned earlier they are often noted on the recipient's records of service but, unlike normal (Class A) mentions they do not make the recipient eligible to wear an MiD emblem. Regards, Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 23 May , 2016 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2016 Dick That couldn't be clearer, thank you very much indeed. I now have the full picture, I am most grateful. MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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