The India North West Frontier Waziristan operations against the Fakir of Ipi Air Gunner and Second World War North West Frontier ground crew and subsequent Armament Officer’s long service group awarded to Flight Lieutenant S.R. Mather, Royal Air Force. Mather from Upper Tooting, London, saw continuous service from September 1927 through to September 1945, being commissioned into the Technical Branch in September 1943. However as a Corporal and later Sergeant he flew operationally as an air gunner in Hawker Harts with No.11 Bomber Squadron out on the North West Frontier during the operations in Waziristan against the Fakir of Ipi during 1937 to 1939. With the outbreak of the war he was at Singapore, and then returned to India before coming home in June 1942. He was employed on ground duties throughout the war but ended it when once again back out in India.
Group of 5: India General Service Medal 1936-1939, 2 Clasps: North West Frontier 1936-37, North West Frontier 1937-39, second clasp loose on ribbon; (507172. SGT. S.R. MATHER. R.A.F.); 1939-1945 Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVI 1st type bust; (FLT. LT. S.R. MATHER. R.A.F.), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine or better.
Sidney Robert Mather was born on 6 February 1909 in Upper Tooting, London, and originally enlisted into the Royal Air Force on 21 September 1927 as an Aircraftman 2nd Class (No.507172), being initially training in ‘rigging of all metal machines’, he was then posted to “T” Training Squadron at Manston, before being posted to join No.13 (Army Co-operation) Squadron in May 1928. In September 1929 he re-mustered as an air gunner for duties as aircrew when still with 13 Squadron, and was advanced to Aircraftman 1st Class on 31 December 1930, but then ceased to draw aircrew pay on 2 October 1931. He returned to air gunner and aircrew duties on 9 November 1931, having transferred to No.57 Squadron.
In December 1932 he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman, and in December 1933 was promoted to Corporal, and then transferred to 23 (Fighter) Squadron in July 1935, before being posted out to India to join 11 Flying Training School in October 1936. Shortly after his arrival there, he found himself serving with No.11 (Bomber) Squadron. As such, Mather flew operationally as an Air Gunner in Hawker Harts out on the North West Frontier during the operations in Waziristan against the Fakir of Ipi, and remained so employed until his squadron was posted from India to the Far East to Tengah at Singapore in August 1939. The squadron was stationed there on the outbreak of the Second World War. Mather had in the meantime been promoted to Sergeant in December 1937, but had ceased to draw aircrew pay since March 1939, and was therefore employed as ground crew out the outbreak of the war. 11 Squadron had been re-equipped with Blenheim bombers back in July 1939.
Mather moved with his squadron back to India in April 1940, it being briefly based at Karachi until posted to Aden due to the increasing likelihood of war with Italy. The first of the squadron's Blenheims reached Aden on 19 June 1940, nine days after Italy declared war on Britain, and flew its first combat mission of the war on 19 June. That same month Mather transferred out of the squadron to the depot in India, and then found himself stationed at Lahore. He then transferred to No.2 Wing for service with No.31 Squadron from July 1940 and back on the North West Frontier, this being a unit equipped with the Vickers Valentias, and operating partly as a bomber and also a transport unit. Mather was posted out to join No.1 Initial Training School in August 1940, which became No.1 Flying Training School and was stationed at Ambala from March 1941.
Around the time that he was appointed to temporary Flight Sergeant in December 1941 he was posted to No.155 Squadron, which was then in the process of being reformed, and having been promoted to temporary Warrant Officer in February 1942, he was posted home from India in June 1942, and then joined No.15 Squadron in the following August, before being posted to No.9 Squadron on 5 October 1942. This squadron flew operationally as part of Bomber Command, with Mather continuing in the role of ground crew.
Mather was discharged to a commission on 15 September 1943, and was then commissioned as a Flying Officer (No.52969) into the Technical Branch on the following day. Initially stationed at Cosford, and as part of No.3 Group, he saw service on armament duties, and from April 1944 was with 100 (Bomber Support) Group, this being a special duties group within Bomber Command. The group was formed on 11 November 1943 to consolidate the increasingly complex business of electronic warfare and countermeasures in one organisation. The group was responsible for the development, operational trial and use of electronic warfare and countermeasures equipment. It was based at RAF stations in East Anglia, chiefly Norfolk, with Mather being stationed at Scunthorpe from April 1944, and at Oulton from May until October 1944. That month he retuned to India and from November 1944 was with the Headquarters of 222 Group, and by January 1945 was at Koggala in Sri Lanka. He remained there until August 1945 when he was posted home, and released from service on 12 September 1945, he having latterly held the rank of Acting Flight Lieutenant since January 1945.
