Metal Oak Leaves - what could they have been?

[GuyMassey]

This quote is from an Aunt and is reproduced from the thread "Uncle Tom, what was he?"

It is a specific query that may help me to shed some light on Tom, so I start a new thread for it.

"Sometime in the war, while I attended sort of nursery school at Bishopsteignton House, I was taken into Torquay to scour antique shops for metal oakleaves, I heard my aunt telling the antique dealers, who seemed to know what she was talking about. that her brother (Tom) had been decorated and needed these to wear with his uniform. She found them in the end and, I presume, sent them to him."

Members thoughts would be most welcome.

[MT606]

American or was MiD'd, dunno why she'd be looking for them in a shop as they were issued.

[GuyMassey]

I know, it is bizarre! Any thoughts would be very well received!

[Bob Wilton]

This quote is from an Aunt and is reproduced from the thread "Uncle Tom, what was he?"

It is a specific query that may help me to shed some light on Tom, so I start a new thread for it.

"Sometime in the war, while I attended sort of nursery school at Bishopsteignton House, I was taken into Torquay to scour antique shops for metal oakleaves, I heard my aunt telling the antique dealers, who seemed to know what she was talking about. that her brother (Tom) had been decorated and needed these to wear with his uniform. She found them in the end and, I presume, sent them to him."

Members thoughts would be most welcome.

Hello Guy,

The only metal oak leaves I know about in the military are the small oak leaves that are worn on a medal ribbon
when the holder of the medal has been mentioned in despatches for doing something very special on an operation
or action. The oak leaf is also worn on the small ribbon which is sewn on the uniform just above the left pocket.

Best regards

Bob

[R5868]

You'll find reference and an example of the oak leaf badge - Mentioned in Dispatches - on Larry's site (link below)

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/bc_medals.htm

Kerry

[GuyMassey]

Thank you both! MID makes sense when added to the few sketchy details that I have about Tom. I am still no closer to finding out what he actually did and in what capacity, although a hazy picture is slowly emerging. I had a long conversation with a very pleasant young lady at RAF records. I can write for his service record, but if he was navy and attached to the RAF they probably won't have anything and so £30 will have been wasted. It would be useful to find his service number, but how I have no idea. His side of the family has died out and so family records have been lost.

His full name is Thomas Patrick O'Sullivan. He was born in 1901 and died from leukaemia in 1963. His death certificate states that he was a Warrant Officer RAF. He may have served at Odiham and Manston. He was apparently shot down in Palestine, probably injured and helped by the Arabs. He walked out of the desert to return to his unit. Family members say that he had been decorated, could this be the MID? Pictures that I have posted elsewhere on this forum suggest that he could have been an RN flyer possibly near Aden, if these are indeed his pictures.

Any help tracking down this man would be most appreciated.

[AlanW]

There is only one Thomas Patrick O'Sullivan in the AIR78 list, and his number is recorded as 1506548, but this does not bring anything up in the L.G.

[GuyMassey]

Thanks Alan. It there any more detail in the list? I believe that he was born in Woolwich and moved to Devon in about 39.

[AlanW]

Guy,
Back again, and have found T.P O'Sullivan's LG entry for his MID. But his service number is not the same as the one i found in AIR78.

[GuyMassey]

Hello Alan,
Thank you so much!
Each new piece of information is extremely useful but adds to my confusion! An Ancestry search reveals a Thomas Patrick O'Sullivan in the navy, who may or may not be the same man. My father had two different RAF service numbers, one when he was an airman and the other when he was commissioned. Could that be what happened here? Perhaps TPO'S started flying in the navy (he was born in 1901) then transferred to the RAF, left and then received a new service number when signing up again for WWII service? he wound have been 38 by then, a bit old for front line duty I would have thought! How then could he have been shot down in Palestine? I think I will have to bite the bullet and write to RAF records if I want to solve the mystery.
Guy