Flight Lieutenant Charles William Bailey RNAS / RAF / North Russia / Finland (?) Expedition

[force136]

Hi 

I am trying to find out some information on a Flight Lieutenant Charles William Bailey (born 7 October 1886) who joined the RNAS in 1916 and was a seaplane/flying boat pilot during WWI. I have both his RNAS and RAF record however there appears to be some major holes. His WWI RAF record only covers 1926. His RNAS record only covers up to March 1918. During the war he operated out of several seaplane bases in the UK. However I recall seeing a post on a forum where the RCAF made a short history of this man. It claimed he served in Russia in 1919 and was recommended for the award of the  Finnish Order of the White Rose but was refused for political reasons? I am assuming that if he served in Russia he was likely with a seaplane squadron. Is there any available source that lists RAF men that served in Russia? I believe the recommendation for the Finnish medal was gazetted or something. Did they gazette foreign awards? 

Any help would be mucho appreciated

[ForeignGong]

Hi

I have a notation he is listed in File FO 372 / 1332 with Visit of a flying boat to Helsinfors. AT KEW.

The 4 names below him in the file have REFUSED by their names but not him.

May be worthwhile checking it out.

Peter

[force136]

Thanks Peter

Is this volume you are talking about...

Decorations and Awards. Code 372 Files 452 (papers 1332-5190) ?

It would make sense if it was some sort of diplomatic mission. 

 

[travers61]

This link refers to an RCAF press release of Nov 1944. Awarded the Order of the White Rose of Finland for work for Finland in 1919, but by 1944 Finland was seen as a hostile nation so couldn't wear the ribbon.

https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/general-category/25752-charles-william-bailey-1886?26070-Charles-William-Bailey-1886=

 

This GWF link refers to Short Seaplanes & other types flying on operations in the Baltic from the small RAF airfield at Koivisto, Finland in 1919.

Travers

Edited 1 December by travers61

[force136]

Thanks Travers 

It is all very interesting. The politics or ideology of the time being interesting as well because it was the Germans who put the Bolsheviks in control

in Russia in the first place and then they will be the ones fighting them in Finland. So it was a mixed up time period with many odd occurances. It is all

a precursor for what will come. No one thinks it odd that it was Lloyd George and his intel boys who will release Trotsky from Halifax around the same

time the Kaiser provides passage for Lenin to Petrograd. Talk about turning around to bite you. However it sums up LEFT leaning political parties in the West

and their support for Marxism despite calling themselves Liberal/Labour/Democrat etc. It was a Jewish Marxist who had the ear of one of the Kaisers top men

who thought it would be a wonderful idea to depose the Tsar. Obviously what goes around comes around as Marxists in Germany will very soon after depose him.

Whoever posted what you included may be on to something ie. being a volunteer.  I originally thought Bailey may have been part of a diplomatic mission to the 

Finns. I am having his War Medal restored as it was all that was left and the hanger had been twisted off leaving only the disc. I purchased a badly renamed example 

to transplant the hanger. The story of Finland in all this is also interesting because the exact same thing will happen to them in WW2. Like Poland sandwiched between

two ashmoles. That is why it is interesting they would not allow Bailey to wear the Finnish medal ribbon. No doubt Finland would have chosen the allied side if the 

Western allies had any chance of coming to their aid. That is one of the missed reasons why Churchill wanted a re-invasion of Norway OP Jupiter to draw in Sweden and

Finland to the Allied side. It was the Soviets who opted against Jupiter because they always had designs on all of Eastern/Central Europe.

Like WWI, the Germans were the only option for the Finns from 1939-1944. The Soviets were never an option. What happens in 1945 being obvious enough. 

[Noor]

Here is one of the most famous raids, where seaplanes took part as well;

Raid on Kronstadt - Wikipedia

as a medal collector, I haven't seen many Finnish awards on the British medal groups. Not WW1 but still, I was lucky yesterday to get this unattributed Finnish Winter War and WW2 RAF miniature medal set. 

[force136]

Hi Chris

Very interesting and odd set of medals for sure. I recently had a set of medals to a German naval NCO who was on the Headquaters ship of the German

forces that landed in Helsinki at the end of WWI to help kick the Commies out. My wifes family had several members fighting in the Civil War and Winter and Continuation

War. I've got tons of photos of them. It was tense at times after a significant amount of the sauce when we would talk about these things as the father of my wifes mother-in-law

fought on the side of the Reds. 

Thanks for posting