Douglas Norman Bain
Navigator R.A.F.
Flying Officer
Distinguished Flying Cross

This silver Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded to flying officer D.N. Bain for an act of valour, courage, or devotion to duty performed while flying in active operations against the enemy. (Photo of D.N. Bain and K. Bain then and now), There is also a photo in the Australian war memorial search for 408224.
Citation

Duty: Navigator
Rank: Flying Officer
Nat: Australian
Service: RAF
Theatres of War: South East Asia and Europe
SERV.NR: Aus.408224
Date: of award 1945
SQDN: Royal Australian Air Force. 166 Squadron.
Wartime Aircraft: Avro
Marital Status: Married to Rosemary Bain four daughter.
Birthplace & Date: Launceston Tasmania, Australia 19th of March 1919

Award of the DFC published in the London Gazette on 17th July 1945, page 3686.

After his retirement from the RAF, he enjoyed a successful career as a navigator on national and international flights for Qantas (Australian airlines).

Details recarding the DFC
The award was established on the birthday of King George V, June 3, 1918.
Obverse: Cross flory terminated in the horizontal and base bars with bombs, the upper bar terminating with a rose, surmounted by another cross composed of aeroplane propellers charged in the centre with a roundel within a wreath of laurels, a rose winged ensigned by an Imperial Crown, ther on the letters RAF.
Description: Cross flory, 2 1/8 inches across, silver.
Reverse: Royal Cypher "GRI"  above the date "1918" in a circle, year of issue in this case is "1945" appears on the lower arm. The date '1918' on the medal is the date the medal was instituted.  GRI indicates George VI was the monarch at the time the medal was awarded - 1936-1951.  GRI is the abbreviation for the latin GEORGIVS REX IMPERATOR - George, King
& Emperor. This changed after 1947 following Indian Independance and the cypher became GviR to signify King George 6th. The current DFC carries the queens cypher EiiR.  Also on the horizontal bar on the left, the service number "408224"  and on the right the inscribtion "F/O D.N.BAIN"
Mounting: Ring at top of cross attached to the suspender by a small ring.
Ribbon: 1 1/4 inches; Violet and White alternate diagonal stripes 1/8" at 45 degrees left to right. The Violet colour is to appear in the bottom left and upper right corners when viewed on the wearer's chest. Until 1919, the stripes were horizontal.

Information of the total Issue of the DFC:
1918 - 1939: 1,217 crosses, 88 first bars and 7 second bars.
This includes WW1 as all awards were published in 1918/19.
WWII:  20,354 crosses, 1550 first bars and 42 second bars were awarded.
In addition to this 46 honorary awards were made to foreign nationals in WW1 and foreign nationals also
received 927 crosses, 34 first bars and 3 second bars in WW2.
Between 1946 and 1979 678 crosses were awarded, 42 first bars and 5 second bars.
Nine crosses were awarded for the Falklands war in 1982.

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