The Three CO's ~ Part 1
A Burden Upon the Corps
Flight Lieutenant Eric William Burden MBE Royal Air Force
The Man Eric William Burden was born on 10th December 1911 son of James Burden. Little is known of his early life except that he married Joyce Lily Gregson between July and September 1936. Eric and Joyce had two daughters Elizabeth and Judith; Elizabeth sadly dying aged only 40 in 1981.
Eric joined the Royal Air Force during World War 2, service number 1043979 and was posted to India where he was involved with aircraft flying 'Over the Hump'. He contracted malaria during the war and continued to suffered bouts of the illness each year. Following the war he was awarded the War Medal 1939-45 and the Defence Medal. Eric was employed by the Warwickshire Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association (T&AFA) becoming their Accountant and Chief Clerk by 1953. It was in this capacity he was awarded the Coronation Medal 1953 in recognition of his services. Eric lived with his family at 33 Windy Arbour in Kenilworth, and due to his links with the Cadet Forces through the T&AFA became involved with the Air Training Corps in the early 1950s. He was Commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves (Training Branch) 12th March 1953 as a Pilot Officer and promoted Flying Officer on 12th May 1955 and subsequently Flight Lieutenant. He was posted to 1048 (Royal Leamington Spa) Squadron Air Training Corps where he served as a Squadron Officer, later Officer Commanding taking over from Flight Lieutenant Arthur Faulkner. He attended annual training camps at RAF Swinderby in 1953, Hemswell, Kinloss 1957, Aldergrove 1953, South Cerney 1959, Bassingbourne 1960, Swinderby again in 1961, Scampton 1962, Coltishall 1964, and Leuchars 1965. In Her Majesty’s New Years Honours list of 1960 Eric was appointed as an Ordinary Member of the Civil Division Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) again for his services to the T&AFA and in 1965 was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal for 12 years service to the Cadet Forces.
Eric joined the Royal Air Force during World War 2, service number 1043979 and was posted to India where he was involved with aircraft flying 'Over the Hump'. He contracted malaria during the war and continued to suffered bouts of the illness each year. Following the war he was awarded the War Medal 1939-45 and the Defence Medal. Eric was employed by the Warwickshire Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association (T&AFA) becoming their Accountant and Chief Clerk by 1953. It was in this capacity he was awarded the Coronation Medal 1953 in recognition of his services. Eric lived with his family at 33 Windy Arbour in Kenilworth, and due to his links with the Cadet Forces through the T&AFA became involved with the Air Training Corps in the early 1950s. He was Commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves (Training Branch) 12th March 1953 as a Pilot Officer and promoted Flying Officer on 12th May 1955 and subsequently Flight Lieutenant. He was posted to 1048 (Royal Leamington Spa) Squadron Air Training Corps where he served as a Squadron Officer, later Officer Commanding taking over from Flight Lieutenant Arthur Faulkner. He attended annual training camps at RAF Swinderby in 1953, Hemswell, Kinloss 1957, Aldergrove 1953, South Cerney 1959, Bassingbourne 1960, Swinderby again in 1961, Scampton 1962, Coltishall 1964, and Leuchars 1965. In Her Majesty’s New Years Honours list of 1960 Eric was appointed as an Ordinary Member of the Civil Division Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) again for his services to the T&AFA and in 1965 was awarded the Cadet Forces Medal for 12 years service to the Cadet Forces.
Eric was later appointed to the Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing as a Staff Officer remaining in post until he retired from the Corps on 1st February 1973 aged 62 and receiving the first clasp to the Cadet Forces Medal. He handed over command of 1048 Squadron to Flight Lieutenant Ewart James, maintaining his connection with the organisation and later elected as Chairman of the Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing Civilian Welfare Committee. Eric died on 9th January 1981 aged 70, his wife Joyce having pre-deceased him some years earlier.
The Story A short but amazing story, and one that is the complete antithesis of usual medal research. Many years ago back in 1971, my Father, Mike Harrison who was an Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) and attached to the Air Training Corps was appointed as Commanding Officer 1048 (Royal Leamington Spa) Squadron, where he had served as a cadet and officer. One of his earlier Commanding Officers had been Eric Burden, followed by Ewart James. Upon my father’s appointment the local press took a photograph to mark the occasion which showed Eric, who was by then the unit’s Wing Staff Officer, shaking hands with my father whilst Ewart James looked on.
|
The photograph was such an iconic one and a good clear picture of all three officers that I had it framed and put on the wall in my study. The picture of Eric was particularly good as it showed his medal ribbons on his RAF tunic very clearly. There he sat looking down at me 21 years; until purely by chance a set of medals appeared on e-bay during December 2010 and upon closer examination it was found they were Eric’s! These of course had to be acquired and were bid on and won on 12th December, strangely the vendor living not very far away. A basic biography has been pieced together from the London Gazette and Ancestry.com, and some local research from people who remembered him together with many photographs from from a 1048 Squadron archive. Four years later in December 2014 a meeting was arranged between Ewart James, aged 95 and Mike Harrison, aged 80 and Eric's Medals. The closest thing to a full re-union of 'The Three CO's' Mike and Ewart's medals also feature within this collection - an amazing story!
The Three CO's Medals Mike Harrison, Ewart James & Eric Buden
Medal Details:
- Member of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: Unnamed as issued.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as issued.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as issued.
- Coronation Medal 1953: Unnamed as issued.
- Cadet Forces Medal: ACT FLT.LT E.W.BURDEN. R.A.F.V.R.(T).
This page last updated 28 Oct 16