The unique Second World War Battle of France 27 May 1940 Royal Air Force man’s Military Medal group awarded to Corporal J.E. ‘Joe’ Crossfield, M.M., Royal Air Force. From Leeds, Yorkshire, but later, Southam, Warwickshire, he was a member of the Territorial Force of the British Army from April 1913 as a member of the Monmouthshire Regiment prior to the Great and saw home service until May 1918, having in the meantime transferred into the Royal Flying Corps and then the Royal Air Force. He saw service as a motor transport fitter out on the Western Front with the 81st Wing Headquarters followed by the 10th Brigade headquarters, being invalided home in February 1919 owing to influenza and then discharged. He however never claimed his campaign medals, despite his having rejoined later that same year and seen service as a motor transport driver out in India through to 1923 when he became an R.A.F Reservist for the next 20 years. As such, he was recalled for the Second World War, and saw service as a motor transport driver out in France with the British Expeditionary Force, and during the retreat to Dunkirk found himself assigned to a convoy commanded by a Captain J. Hoeck, Royal Engineers, who would later recommend Crossfield for his award. It was whilst at the coal mining village of Hondesschote in northern France that he won his Military Medal for an incident that occurred on 27 May 1940. A French ammunition lorry column had been abandoned, and for a reason only known to the French, and no doubt as a result of concern for their own safety and a natural willingness to retreat with all haste, they set fire to this column of lorries that were then parked in the station yard in the midst of the village. Crossfield on observing the fire immediately enquired as to the contents and was informed they contained explosives and ammo. The fleeing French were endangering the lives of all those around and threatening destruction to at least half of the village and the people in it. Crossfield acted immediately. He warned his commanding officer, and then came back with him to the blazing lorries, and then got hold of a motor dumper and chain. “With small arms ammunition exploding all round he worked like one possessed, and thank heaven succeeded in pulling the blazing lorries away from the others. It all ended well and lucky for him and all around. What might have happened if he had not acted as he did…” This was the first reason for his award, and though not mentioned in the citation, the “second reason for his award is that during the last hours we spent in France before we got on the beaches he worked with me for a solid day and one night helping to save about a hundred men, looking after the wounded and providing everything, and generally speaking being everywhere at once, once again regardless of personal danger.”’ In all only 118 Military Medals were awarded to members of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War period, with Crossfield’s award, gazetted on 20 December 1940, being unique to the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground during the Battle of France. He was personally presented with it by King George VI at Buckingham Palace in February 1941. Crossfield went on to be further decorated, being awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services, this awarded being listed in the King’s Birthday Honours List in June 1942.
Group of 4: Military Medal, GVI 1st type bust, officially impressed naming; (336779 CPL. J. CROSSFIELD. R.A.F.); 1939-1945 Star; Defence Medal; War Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf.
Condition: lightly polished, light contact wear, Very Fine.
Provenance: ex Glendining’s, 19 September 1989, lot 612.
Joseph Elias Crossfield, known as Joe, was born on 5 August 1894 or 1895 (depending on records) in Leeds, Yorkshire, where he was still living in 1913, and working as a steelworker for the firm of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Ltd at Rogerstone. Crossfield originally enlisted into the Territorial Force on 12 April 1913 as a Private (No.21222) with the 1st Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment, being then mobilised on the outbreak of the Great War on 5 August 1914 and appointed as a Lance Corporal with the 2/1st (Rifle) Battalion.
The 2/1st (Rifle) Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment, was formed as a second-line duplicate of the 1st Battalion in Newport in September 1914, and did not move outside of the United Kingdom, performing home defence duties, mostly in Suffolk, as part of the 53rd and 68th Divisions.
Crossfield then transferred as a 2nd Class Airman into the Royal Flying Corps on 17 February 1916 as a motor transport fitter, being appointed to Acting Corporal on 6 March 1916, and then to 1st Class Airman on 1 August 1916, before being promoted to Corporal 1 March 1917. He saw service with the 6th Supply Depot at home, and having transferred into the Royal Air Force as a Corporal Mechanic on 1 April 1918 , and having transferred to No.1 Motor Transport Depot on 23 May 1918, before being posted out to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front from 29 May 1918, where he was posted to the 81st Wing on 8 June 1918, and saw service with the headquarters as a motor transport fitter, before performing similar with the headquarters of the 10th Brigade from 21 June 1918.
Crossfield who was appointed to unpaid Acting Sergeant Mechanic on 20 July 1918, remained so employed through the end of the war, but having contracted influenza, was then invalided home on 20 February 1919, and latterly saw service with the R.A.F. Depot at Halton Camp, before being demobilised and transferred to the Class “G” Reserve on 26 March 1919, owing to ‘influenza and debility’. It is interesting to note that while Crossfield would have been entitled to receive the British War Medal and Victory Medal and the Territorial Force War Medal, there is not medal roll or medal index card for him, so he must not have claimed his Great War award entitlement.
Crossfield then re-enlisted into the Royal Air Force as an Air Craftsman 2nd Class (No.336779) at Henlow on 1 September 1919 for duties as a motor transport driver, and the following day was re-classified as an Air Craftsman 1st Class. He was then posted out to India for duty with Headquarters India from 6 November 1919. Hospitalised as Lahore on 21 January 1920, he was back in hospital as the British Serviceman’s Hospital between 12 February and 8 March 1921, and was again undergoing treatment at the British Serviceman’s Hospital at Lahore from 28 May to 2 June 1921.
On 1 September 1921 he joined No.3 Squadron as a motor transport driver when stationed at Ambala, and the very next day found himself hospitalised again, and transferred to No.60 Squadron at Lower Baria in Gujerat on 1 October 1921. Crossfield transferred to the Aircraft Depot at Karachi on 9 January 1923, and was then posted home from India to “M” Depot on 15 February 1923, and was then transferred to the Class “E” Reserve on 31 August 1923, and went to live in Northampton. Crosssfield went on to serve as a Reservist for the next 20 years through to 1943, re-enlisting every four years as required.
Crossfield married Clara Jane Bailey at Northampton on 2 February 1924, with whom he had six children: Joseph William born on 14 October 1926; Leslie Alfred born on 6 April 1930; Derrick Reginald born on 7 July 1931; Norman Frederick born on 18 January 1933; Michael born on 29 May 1934; and finally Mildred born on 29 November 1935. They lived at 94 Clarence Avenue, Northampton, and then 23, subsequently 34 Newington Road, Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, but later moved to 23 Coventry Street, Southam, Warwickshire, with Crossfield working as a driver mechanic at Castle Bromwich.
Crossfield’s final pre-war enlistment with the Class “E” Reserves was on 9 September 1938, and he was mobilised on the outbreak of the Second World War, as a Corporal serving with the motor transport element of the Royal Air Force, was then sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
With the German invasion of France and the low countries, Crossfield formed part of the retreat to Dunkirk, and it was during this, when at Hondesschote in northern France on 27 May 1940 that he performed the deeds that led to his award of the Military Medal, this being a unique award to the Royal Air Force for the period known as the Battle of France, with his award being published in the London Gazette for 20 December 1940, ‘for Gallantry in France and Flanders.’
The recommendation reads as follows: ‘On the morning of 27th May 1940, troops on the retreat had abandoned their convoy of approximately 20 lorries in the yard of the colliery station at Hondesschote. These lorries had been set on fire by retreating soldiers. Corporal Crossfield. observing the fire immediately enquired as to the contents and was informed they contained explosives and ammo. At great personal risking without hesitation, Corporal Crossfield drove the ammo lorries to a place of safety, organised a working party and succeeded in isolating the fire. This action undoubtedly averted an explosion that would have resulted in serious loss of life.’
The newspaper, The Midland Daily Telegraph for 20 March 1941 carry an article titled ‘Saved a Village from Destruction - Southam Man’s Bravery Rewarded’, that reads as follows: ‘Corporal Joseph Crossfield of No. 23 Coventry Street Southam was received this week by the King, at Buckingham Palace, and received the Military Medal. After a brief weekend leave he made the journey from Southam with his wife, to receive his decoration.
“Even his wife was unaware of his acts of bravery in France until early in February this year, when she received a letter from his old officer, Captain J Hoeck, R.E., who was in charge of a convoy of lorries during the retreat to Dunkirk. He wrote: “Apart from being a real soldier, and doing his duty unflinchingly at all times regardless of danger or personal safety, the first thing happened at a small village in the North-west of France called Hondschoote. Here one day a long convoy of French lorries was pulled up on the station yard. The lorries were packed nose to tail in close formation. Joe knew what was on the lorries - explosives, small arms, and high explosive ammunition.
“The people in charge of the convoy suddenly set fire to it, endangering the lives of all those around and threatening destruction to at least half of the village and the people in it. Joe took action. He came and warned me post haste. He came back with me to the blazing lorries and got a motor dumper and chain, where from God knows, but he got it. With small arms ammunition exploding all round he worked like one possessed, and thank heaven succeeded in pulling the blazing lorries away from the others.
“It all ended well and lucky for him and all around. What might have happened if he had not acted as he did, or while he was doing it he will probably tell you. The second reason for his award is that during the last hours we spent in France before we got on the beaches he worked with me for a solid day and one night helping to save about a hundred men, looking after the wounded and providing everything, and generally speaking being everywhere at once, once again regardless of personal danger.”’
In all only 118 Military Medals were awarded to members of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War period, six of which were to members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, 14 to the Royal Air Force Regiment, and three for the immediate aftermath in South East Asia. The majority of awards went to those whose were either escaped Prisoners of War or else evaders. Crossfield’s award is unique to the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground during the Battle of France.
Crossfield however went on to be further decorated, being awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services, this awarded being listed in the King’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 11 June 1942.
Crossfield’s period of enlistment came to an end in September 1943, and is unclear, owing to his age, if he remained in service for the remaining duration of the war. His died in July 1958 in Birmingham. Having never claimed his campaign medals for the First World War, this is therefore Crossfield’s full entitlement of awards.
