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Rim Engraved WW1 Victory Medal, USMC,Aviation


Belleauwood
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Belleauwood

Robert S. Lytle, Captain USMC - Commanding Officer, Marine Squadron 9, Field "E", La Fresne, France from Oct. 27 1918 to war's end. Flew with the British 218 Squadron August 1918 to 2 Oct. 1918 (with Everet Brewer, another topic on the forum). Participated in 11 Bombing Raids with the British and 3 raid with the NBG Day Wing.

 

DSC 2 October, 1918 for dropping food and supplies to entrapped French Troops - Led the first ALL-MARINE bombing raid on Thielt, Belgium on 14 October 1918. Downed 1 Enemy Plane.

 

This medal surfaced in a box with insignia and other medals in California some time ago. There were a couple of long time Aviation Historians who new of the find , but never actually saw them. Before I acquired this Victory Medal, I sent detail images to a highly respected medal expert (E-bay, gbhmedals) to confirm the engraving/stamping and got the thumbs-up.

 

I later confirmed the story of the medals coming from the Lytle belongings. - I re-ribboned the medal.

If any of you know where his DSC or other items from Capt. Lytle, I would be interested in hearing from you!!

 

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Belleauwood

Just to add a side bar - You will find Marine Aviation Victory Medals with the "Ypres-Lys" bar along with the Aviation Bar. The First Marine Aviation Forces were officially added the YPRES-LYS battle streamer in 1966. I have never seen the campaign bar entitlement for Ypres-Lys on the 1920 issue document for the VM. It is my gut feeling that these were self awards, as this is typically known to be an ARMY award. I do have several enlisted USMC Northern Bombing Group uniform/medal groups that have the Navy Aviation Bar as well as the ARMY Ypres-Lys Bar.

 

Comments from those that have more information or insight are certainly welcome.

 

Thanks, Dennis

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Belleauwood
Just to add a side bar - You will find Marine Aviation Victory Medals with the "Ypres-Lys" bar along with the Aviation Bar. The First Marine Aviation Forces were officially added the YPRES-LYS battle streamer in 1966. I have never seen the campaign bar entitlement for Ypres-Lys on the 1920 issue document for the VM. It is my gut feeling that these were self awards, as this is typically known to be an ARMY award. I do have several enlisted USMC Northern Bombing Group uniform/medal groups that have the Navy Aviation Bar as well as the ARMY Ypres-Lys Bar.

 

Comments from those that have more information or insight are certainly welcome.

 

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EXAMPLE

 

Thanks, Dennis

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  • 3 months later...

quote name='teufelhunde.ret' date='Nov 12 2008, 09:58 AM' post='226475']

Steve you and I must have both been "out to lunch" on this one. Dennis, were the Marine aviators of the period seen with the army clasp as well on the victory medal? The wings shown... are they WW1 period as well? If so, can you show reverese of the wings? Thx, beautiful medal! s/f Darrell

 

 

Darrell & Steve,

 

The ribbon was with the planchet as was the broach. Ribbon was not good. I did not save it however. May I should have but I didn't. The current ribbon was taken directly from a "France" VM that was a WW1 (1920) issue item.

 

I do not have photographic evidence of the Army Ypres-Lys bar being worn on the VM during the 20's or later by members of the FMAF. The majority of the FMAF operations were flown over Belgium (and France), hence the YL Bar. As far as the wing goes, here is what I know for fact. It is a Robbins piece and is sterling. This style of wing is USUALLY considered to be a 1919 to very early 1920's wing. HOWEVER, I have owned 3 documented FMAF pilots uniforms or personal effects that ALL had this very wing. All trained in the summer of 1918 in Pensacola Fla. before going to France. I have included another photo of Everett Brewer's wing that I posted some time ago. Brewer has another wing with closed flukes and Jews Harp as well as this one. This was on his Forrest Greens. Memory Cain, another pilot had these Robbins wing as well as another pilots wing that came with a few personal effects with a note from his wife explaining that this was the wing worn on her husband's Marine pilot's uniform. She also sent a zeroxed copy of the wing with a signed note. That wing is now in a prominante wing collector's black hole.

 

So here are my thoughts: - All these mid summer Pensocola pilots went and purchased thier wings from the same store before being shipped overseas. All were Robbins wings with vaulted shields and open flukes. Otherwise, I can't explain why these three pilots all had this very same wing.

 

Incidently, Memory Cain was responsible for establishing the Cunningham Award for the outstanding Marine Pilot for that calander year. The award was established in 1958 with blank plates for the next 50 years. The Cunningham Award will reach it's maximum capacity of names after this year's award.

 

A long winded answer - I apologize.

 

Dennis

 

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