Can anyone please confirm how many LIEUT D J STEWART RAF claimed medal

[Guest CASPER]

Hi all,

I have a victory medal to LIEUT D J STEWART RAF ...my bit of research confirms that a LIEUT D J STEWART RAF was shot down by the red baron, my dilemma were there any other officers ? (I have identified two but both different ranks )....so were there any more who claimed medals and had them named LIEUT D J STEWART RAF

*MIC confirms two RFC/RAF Officers of this name ,both with different ranks.
Research confirms that Lieutenant (NOT 2/Lieut.) Donald James Stewart was serving in 48 Sqn at the time and this is confirmed by RAF Officer service records and it was he who was shot down by The Red Barron .

The medal is named LIEUT D J STEWART RAF MIC confirms issued by Air Authority from the RFC Officer Roll 168....was there any others .....

thanks

casp

[rksimpson]

Hi

There is only 1 name that comes up in a NA Uk search - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D8230570

Searching for the full name gives this list- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_aq=donald+james+stewart&_ep=&_or1=&_or2=&_or3=&_nq1=&_nq2=&_nq3=&_sd=1914&_ed=1920&_col=0&_sw=ref&_cr1=wo&_cr2=&_cr3=&_ps=15&_ro=any&_rd=&_rsd=&_red=&_fr=&_st=adv

Using just initials gives this- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res/1?_aq=d%20j%20stewart&_cr1=wo&_sd=1914&_ed=1920&_ps=15&_ro=any&_advtxt=d%20AND%20j%20AND%20stewart

but none fit.

Cant see any else, but I am not sure where else you can search.

regards

Robert

[Airshipped]

According to Franks et al your Stewart chap was from Sheffield. He was commissioned 2nd Lt with the York & Lancashire Regiment on 24 Nov 1915. He was shot down on 5 April 1917 by the Red Baron. He was observer in a BF2a (No.A3343) flown by Alfred Terence Adams. Both Stewart and Adams survived as POWs. Stewart died at his home in Firshill Crescent, Sheffield on 18 December 1981.

If you're in the business of buying/selling medals then you'd perhaps need to be cautious in these sort of situations, as Stewart/Steward/Stuart is a common enough surname.

[hmsk212]

Hi,

In the Air79s ( on-line at the National Archives ) there are 4 D J Stewarts listed they are :-

Donald James Stewart Air79/484/62

David James Stewart born 30/08/1894 Air79/484/63

David James Stewart Air79/484/64

David James Stewart born 16/07/1897 Air79/484/65

You would need to look at all four of these Air79s to see what there ranks were and if indeed they were entitled to medals.

Steve

[sadbrewer]

Just revisiting this about Donald James Stewart ...if anyone can help further it would be appreciated. I regularly passed the Firshill Crescent address given by Frank's in the 70's and I've been curious ever since I read the book to find more out.

Whilst Frank's and Co's info seems very specific....I think there could be errors.

I can find no deaths for either D or J Stewart in Sheffield on 18th Dec.1981...there is though a birth for a James Stewart on 18th Dec. 1891. I wonder if it was just a typo error.

If any new information is available it would be most appreciated.

[hmsk212]

Hi,

In the Air79s ( on-line at the National Archives ) there are 4 D J Stewarts listed they are :-

Donald James Stewart Air79/484/62

David James Stewart born 30/08/1894 Air79/484/63

David James Stewart Air79/484/64

David James Stewart born 16/07/1897 Air79/484/65

You would need to look at all four of these Air79s to see what there ranks were and if indeed they were entitled to medals.

Steve

Hi

Donald James Stewart awarded medals as Lt (Red Baron victim)

David James Stewart born 1894 awarded medals as 2 Lt

David James Stewart - no medals

David James Stewart born 1897 awarded medals as Lt (Observer 43 Sqd)

Steve

[sadbrewer]

Just in case anyone in future picks this up.

Unfortunately there was an error in Under the Guns of The Red Baron.

The D J Stewart shot down by Richthofen is not the Sheffield man, he was actually born in 1912....I contacted Norman Franks back in 2018 to make him aware, unfortunately Hal Giblin did the genealogy leg work and had passed away by the time I spoke to Norman, but he accepted the following...

Donald James Stewart was born on 13/1/1898 in Colchester ,  the only child of James Sandieman Stewart (soldier) and Alice Miriam Conway Stewart ( nee Brown ) of Aldershot . Alice's Brother was the acclaimed musician , composer, author James Hullah Brown .

  In 1911 Alice and Donald are living in military accommodation at Frimley , 

In 1915 Donald joins the York and Lancs as a young Lt.. ( why the Y & L , I have no idea )

In early 1917 ? he joins the RFC . There are three DJ Stewarts shown as RFC Officers , the other two can be discounted , both David James...and different parent regiments.

He is shown as being shot  down and captured as stated correctly in your book . Interestingly on his Red Cross card he gives his pilot's father ( an Edgbaston Stockbroker ) as his representative , I suspect , but cannot prove , his own father was still a serving soldier . 

I have found him again in 1922 marrying Grace Murray Bruce...( in Plomesgate , Suffolk )a female member of the RAF . She joined The Service in early 1918 . I can find no children.

 The Gazette though shows him remaining in the RAF , until 1929 , when he relinquishes his RAF Commission and rejoins the York and Lancs , as a Capt .

  I have found both Donald and Grace travelling to and from India several times in the 1930's , I am almost certain elements of the Y & L were there at that time . The home addresses given were The Isle of Wight , and later 'Saltings' , Orford , Woodbridge in Suffolk . Donald's parents were shown living in Newport on the IOW , his father dying there in 1940 . At some time  his mother moved to Halifax in W. Yorks where she died in 1964 . The Probate showing that her estate was left to ''Grace Murray Stewart , wife of Donald James Stewart ''

I believe Grace died at Kings Lynn in 1984  and Donald followed 8 years later in the July quarter of 1992, also in Kings Lynn .