A fine V-Force Vulcan Navigator’s General Service Medal 1918-1962, EIIR Br.Omn. bust, 1 Clasp: Malaya, awarded to Flying Officer later Flight Lieutenant B.L. Prescott, Royal Air Force. Prescott was originally born in Singapore, and saw service between April 1951 and May 1974, being a qualified navigator. He flew operationally as part of Operation Firedog during the Malayan Emergency when in Valletta aircraft with 52 Squadron between June 1954 and March 1955, and also flew the Canberra before qualifying as a navigator in Vulcan bombers, and seeing service with the V-Nuclear Bomber force as part of 83 Squadron out of Scampton between January 1955 and October 1971.
General Service Medal 1918-1962, EIIR Br.Omn. bust, 1 Clasp: Malaya; (FG. OFF. B.L. PRESCOTT. R.A.F.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Bruce Lamont Prescott was born on 30th January 1932 in Singapore, Straits Settlements, and originally enlisted into the Royal Air Force as an Air Craftman 2nd Class (No..4068632) on 25th April 1951, and after basic and specialisation training as a radar mechanic and then radio assistant, remustered as a Cadet Navigator on 16th April 1952, before being selected for officer training, and then ranked as an Officer Cadet Navigator from 23rd April 1952, being then discharged to a commission on 26th August 1952. Prescott was granted a Short Service Commission as an Acting Pilot Officer on 23rd September 1952, and posted to No.2 Air Navigation School at Thorney Island. He was confirming in the rank of Pilot Officer on 20th October 1953.
Prescott passed as a navigator, and was posted to No.242 Operational Conversion Unit in November 1953, and having been promoted to Flying Officer on 27th April 1954, was then posted operational to join No.52 Squadron in June 1954, which squadron was then operating out in Malaya as a part of Operation Firedog, and flying in Vickers Valletta aircraft. The squadron operated in the air transport role dropping supplies to the jungle troops, and for a time it also operated a passenger run from Singapore down to RAAF Butterworth.
Prescott was posted home to join No.527 Squadron at R.A.F. Watton in March 1955, where he participated in radar calibration work, and in November 1955 transferred to the Development Squadron, also stationed at Watton. Prescott was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 23rd January 1958. Then in March 1958 he was posted to No.231 Operational Conversion Unit at Bassingbourn, where he learned to fly in the Canberra aircraft, and in August 1958 he was posted to R.A.F. Conningsby, and then in the same month joined No.58 Squadron at Wyton, flying the Canberra, and in October 1960 was posted out to R.A.F. Luqa at Malta for service with 39 Squadron when once again flying in the Canberra.
In January 1962 he was posted to join No.24 (SAM) Wing with the Tactical Control Centre at Watton, and then in September 1962 joined 242 (SAM) Squadron at Marham, flying in the Bristol Bloodhound. During July and August 1964 he was with No.1 Air Navigation School at Stradishall, and then in October 1964 was posted to join the Bomber Command Bombing School at Lindholme, and in the same month was then posted to join 230 Operational Conversion Unit at Finningley, where he learned to fly in the Avro Vulcan, one of three bombers equipped to carry nuclear weapons if the need would arise. Then in January 1965 he joined the V-Bomber Force when posted to 83 Squadron at Scampton, flying as a Navigator in Vulcan bombers. Prescott is photographed in a squadron group photograph from this period, and he remained so employed through to October 1971 when he was posted to 231 Operational Conversion Unit at Cottesmore, where he reacquainted himself with the Vulcan, and trained up other aircrew in navigation duties on this aircraft.
Prescott was posted to 39 Squadron at Wyton and flew in the Canberra with it from May 1974, and retired from service on 29th April 1976. He latterly worked as a local government officer in Houghton, Cambridgeshire, where he died on 10th September 1978.
