A fine Halton Apprentice’s New Years Honours 1956 Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Second World War, early Malayan Emergency and long service group awarded to Wing Commander W.T. Dunlop, O.B.E., Royal Air Force. Dunlop from Belford, Northumberland became a Halton Apprentice in January 1925, and qualified as a fitter / driver of petrol driven vehicles. He saw service out in Iraq from October 1929 and in the Middle East from November 1931 before returning home in April 1935. On the outbreak of the war he was a driver at R.A.F. Cranwell, but was commissioned in July 1941, and saw service with the Technical Branch. He was out in Canada as a maintenance engineer with Service Flying Training School’s during 1944. In June 1948 he was posted to out to the Maintenance Base at Seletar in Malaya, as a result of which he became involved in the early part of the Malayan Emergency before being posted home in May 1949. At the time that he was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in January 1956, he was with the Headquarters of Maintenance Command, and he was ultimately the Senior Technical Officer with No.5 Flying Training School at Oakington.
Group of 5: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer, O.B.E., 2nd type. Military Division; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945; General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVI 2nd type bust, 1 Clasp: Malaya; (FLT. LT. W.T. DUNLOP. R.A.F.); Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVI 1st type bust; (ACT. FLT. LT. W.T. DUNLOP. R.A.F.)
Condition: Good Very Fine or better.
William Tait Dunlop was born on 15th January 1908 in Belford, Northumberland, and enlisted into the Royal Air Force on 13th January 1925 as an Apprentice Airman with No.1 Wing at R.A.F. Halton, he being a Halton Apprentice. On completion of his apprenticeship he was enlisted on 15th July 1926 as an Air Craftsman 2nd Class (No.365699) when posted to Donibristle. He was mustered as a fitter / driver of petrol vehicles.
Promoted to Air Craftsman 1st Class on 6th January 1928 he remained a fitter / driver of petrol driven vehicles and was posted out to Iraq from 8th October 1929 to 10th November 1931, seeing service with the Aircraft Wing out there, he was promoted to Leading Air Craftsman on 1st April 1930. Posted to the Middle East from 11th November 1931 when he joined 203 Squadron, he then transferred to the Middle East Depot before being posted home on 21st April 1935, and was then posted to 22nd (Bomber) Squadron on 3rd May 1935. Having been promoted to Corporal on 1st January 1936, he was then posted to No.1 Flying Training Squadron. From November 1937 he was with the Motor Detachment to the RAF College at Cranwell, and was appointed to Acting Sergeant on 1st December 1938, and subsequently confirmed in that rank from that date.
Dunlop was still on service at Cranwell when the Second World War broke out, being then promoted to temporary Flight Sergeant on 7th October 1940. In May 1941 he was recommended for a commission, and was then granted an Emergency Commission as a probationary Pilot Officer (No.46146) on 12th July 1941, being posted to the Technical Branch, with seniority back dated to 12th June 1941. He was confirmed in the rank of Pilot Officer on 12th July 1942 and at the same time promoted to Flying Officer, and from August 1942 was an Acting Flight Lieutenant.
After his commission he was initially posted to No.1 Air Gunnery School where he was employed as the engineer in maintenance. He was moved to No.4 Air Gunnery School from October 1941, and from November 1943 was posted out to Canada for service with No.35 Service Flying Training School. Promoted to temporary Flight Lieutenant in January 1944, this was followed by a posting to No.36 Service Flying Training School from February 1944. He held the Acting rank of Squadron Leader from 7th April 1944, but relinquished this on being posted home to England.
Posted home again in November 1944, he then joined the HQ of 41 Group for service with No.9 Maintenance Unit, before transferring to No.45 Maintenance Unit in February 1945, and to No.12 Maintenance Unit from September 1945, when he was once again appointed Acting Squadron Leader. Dunlop was promoted to the War Substantive rank of Flight Lieutenant on 12th February 1946.
Posted to No.18 Maintenance Unit in December 1947, at the same time he relinquished the Acting rank of Squadron Leader, and in June 1948 was posted to out to the Maintenance Base at Seletar in Malaya, as a result of which he became involved in the Malayan Emergency. He remained on service out there through to May 1949 when posted home. Dunlop was posted to the Central Servicing Development Establishment a Wittering from March 1951 and then transferred for duty at R.A.F. Lyneham from December 1951, being promoted to Squadron Leader on 1st January 1952.
Dunlop was appointed an Officer of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the 1956 New Years Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 2nd January 1956.
Posted to the Headquarters of Maintenance Command from January 1956, he was promoted to Wing Commander on 1st January 1957, having held the Acting rank since January 1956. Dunlop was the Senior Technical Officer with No.5 Flying Training School at Oakington from 25th July 1958, and was placed on the Retired List on 15th July 1960.