United States Air Medal : Flight Lieutenant E W Guy, 77 Squadron, RAAF

United States Air Medal with oakleaf device indicating a second award. Medal unnamed as issued.

United States Air Medal awarded to Flight Lieutenant E W Guy, for gallantry while serving with 77 Squadron, RAAF, in Korea during 1952. Edgar Wesley (Wes) Guy was born in April 1922, on the island of Samarai, Papua New Guinea. He was educated at Box Hill Grammar and Wesley College, Melbourne, going on to complete the Associated Teachers Training Institute Diploma. After two years teaching at Essendon Grammar School, he enlisted in the RAAF as an aircrew trainee in April 1942. Guy undertook flying training in Australia and graduated as a sergeant pilot. Initially selected for dive-bomber training, he was instead posted to the Elementary Flying Instructor’s course at Tamworth, NSW. Despite being grounded for six months for dog-fighting with a fellow student, he completed the course, and was commissioned and sent to Benalla Elementary Flying Training School, teaching student pilots. He excelled as an instructor, and in 1944 was sent to the Central Flying School (CFS) at Point Cook, VIC, to train potential new instructors. At the end of the war, Guy elected to remain in the service, and in August 1945 was posted to 33 Squadron, flying Dakota aircraft in the south west Pacific. After a further stint of instructing, he was selected to participate in the Empire Flying School course for instructors in the UK, and was also awarded the Commendation for Meritorious Service in the Air, in recognition of his achievements. In 1952, Guy was posted to 77 Squadron in Korea, flying Meteor F.8 jets. During his six month tour, he became a flight commander, flew 178 operational sorties and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and US Air Medal. Back in Australia, he became Chief Flying Instructor of the Advanced Flying Training School at CFS. In 1959, with the rank of squadron leader, Guy resigned from the RAAF to join the Department of Civil Aviation, becoming Examiner of Airmen in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. He later managed a number of regional air services, including his own ‘Wesguy Aviation Services’, in Australia and New Guinea, and in 1981 established the Government Flying Unit (now the RAAF VIP Flight). Wes Guy’s last job before retirement in 1983 was as Superintendent of Flying Operations with the Civil Aviation Division in Papua New Guinea. The citation for the award of the United States Air Medal reads as follows: Flight Lieutenant Wesley E. Guy [sic] distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial combat as a pilot of Meteor Mark Eight type aircraft, flying missions against the enemy in Korea from 1 March 1952 to 14 March 1952. In the course of these missions, rocketing and strafing runs were made from dangerously low altitudes, destroying and damaging enemy installations and equipment. His aggressiveness and skill contributed greatly to the successful completion of these assigned missions. As a result of his valour, proficiency and devotion to duty on these occasions, he has reflected great credit upon himself, his comrades in arms of the United Nations and the Royal Australian Air Force.' No citation for a second award of the US Air Medal has been found.