Description

For sale is a General Service Medal (G.VI.R.) with clasp MALAYA named to A2255 J W MATTHEWS, which comes with research by Lt. Colonel Neil Smith.

Corporal John William Matthews was born in Rozelle, New South Wales in 1919.

A maintenance fitter by trade, he enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 3/5/1951.

After initial training he was qualified as an Engine Fitter.

He was posted to RAAF Butterworth at Penang, in Malaysia in support of the 1st (Lincoln Bomber) Squadron from 1953 – 54.

Posted to 2 Aircraft Depot (Richmond) 1955 as a Corporal. Followed by postings to Instructional Squadron Wagga Wagga, Base Squadron Launceston, Richmond before discharging 2/5/1957.

1 Squadron few nearly 4,000 sorties and dropped 33,000,000 pounds of bombs – 85 per cent of the tonnage dropped by all aircraft in Malaya. Its missions were flown in support of ground forces, bombing and strafing suspected enemy occupied areas and terrorist camps.