Most Decorated Airmen of the Allied Air Forces

[FONT=&quot]Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards [/FONT]VC, DFC, DSO, MID.

http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Edwards_HI.htm

His total decorations and awards.

• Victoria Cross,
• Knight Commander of St. Michael & St. George,
• Companion of the Order of the Bath,
• Distinguished Service Order,
• Order of the British Empire,
• Distinguished Flying Cross,
• Knight of St Johns,
• 1939-45 Star,

• Aircrew Europe Star & rosette,
• Africa Star,
• Burma Star,
• Defence Medal,
• '39-45 War Medal (M.I.D.),
• G.S. Medal 1918-1962, Malta clasp,
• QEII Coronation 1953,
• QEII Jubilee 1977.

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JOHN RANDALL DANIEL "BOB" BRAHAM RAF

3 Distinguished Service Orders
3 Distinguished Flying Crosses
Air Force Cross
Belgian Order of the Crown with Palm,
Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm
1939/45 Star
Battle of Britain Clasp
Air Crew Europe Star
France & Germany Clasp
War Medal with M.I.D.
Canadian Forces Decoration & Bar

 

Thought we needed a spot for him as he was lost with the "Big Wigs".

 

David John Shannon RAAF

The most highly decorated Royal Australian airman flying, 22 year old 407729 Flight Lieutenant David John Shannon DSO and Bar DFC and Bar, of Bridgewater, SA, member of the Dambusters, was one of nineteen Australian airmen who attended Buckingham Palace for an investiture in 1945.

David Shannon was only 20 years old when included in the first wave of the Dambusters Raid.

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Wing Commander Adrian "Warby" Warburton

Wing Commander Adrian "Warby" Warburton (10 March 1918 in Middlesbrough - 12 April 1944 over Germany) was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot during the Second World War. He became legendary in the RAF for his role in the defence of Malta. His gallantry was recognised by the award of the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Bars and an American Distinguished Flying Cross.
The son of a naval officer, Warburton was christened on board a submarine in Grand Harbour, Valetta, Malta. He attended St Edward's School in Oxford, where two other famous airmen, Guy Gibson and Douglas Bader, were also educated.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Warburton
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/aerial_recon_gallery_03.shtml

 

Air Vice-Marshal J E "Johnnie" Johnson

Companion of Bath
Commander of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order and 2 Bars
Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar
Légion d'honneur (France)
Croix de Guerre (Belgium)
Order of Léopold (Belgium)
Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)
Air Medal (USA)
Legion of Merit (USA)

 

Lieutenant Colonel JAY ZEAMER USAAF

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Zeamer,_Jr.

Medal of Honor
Silver Star with oak leaf cluster (third highest medal for bravery) (Oak leaf is equivalent to a Bar)
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Purple Heart
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
World War II Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

 

Richard "Dick" Ira Bong - United States' highest-scoring air ace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bong#Awards_and_decorations

Medal of Honor
Distinguished Service Cross
Silver Star with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Crosses with six oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

 

Frederick Walker Castle - USAAF

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_W._Castle#Awards_and_decorations

Medal of Honor
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross (with three oak leaf clusters)
Air Medal (with four oak leaf clusters)
Purple Heart
American Defense Service Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (8 battle stars)
World War II Victory Medal
Croix de Guerre, with palm, Belgium
Legion of Honor
Virtuti Militari , Silver Cross Class V (Poland)
Order of Kutuzov, 2d Class (USSR)

 

František Fajtl - Czech Fighter Pilot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/František_Fajtl

Order of The White Lion 3rd class military (Řád bílého lva, vojenská skupina, III. třída Czech Republic)
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Grand-Croix of the French Légion d'Honneur (France)
Order of The White Lion "For Victory" (Řád bílého lva "Za vítězství", Czechoslovakia)
Czechoslovak Military Cross (Československý válečný kříž, Czechoslovakia) - 4x
Order of The Slovak National Uprise, 1st class (Řád Slovenského národního povstání 1. třídy, Czechoslovakia)
Order of M.R.Štefánik (Czech and Slovak Federal Republic)

 

Francis Stanley "Gabby" Gabreski - USAAF Fighter Pilot during WW2 & Korean War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabby_Gabreski

Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with 12 oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star
Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Korean War Service Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award, 5 oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
Légion d'honneur (France)
Croix de Guerre, with Palm (Belgium)
Krzyż Walecznych (Cross of Valor - Poland)

 

Robin Olds - USAAF Fighter Pilot in WW2 & Vietnam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Olds

Air Force Cross
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star, three oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal, with 39 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
American Defense Service Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Croix de Guerre with Palm (France)
Vietnam Air Force Distinguished Service Order
Vietnam Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
Vietnam Air Gallantry Medal with Gold Wings
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

 

Gen. William J. Maddox Jr. Pilot Served in 3 Wars.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/wjmaddox.htm

His decorations includes
Distinguished Service Medal
Four Silver Stars
127 Air Medals
8 DFCs
5 Legions of Merit.

 

Leonard Cheshire VC DSO and two bars, DFC

and in his later career, OM and a Barony

The combination of VC, OM and DSO** arguably makes him the most decorated Englishman of the twentieth century

 

Taking just Military Awards he pips Malcolm David Wanklyn (RN) by a DFC.

 

And we've already had the discussion about both Willie Tait and Basil Embry having the DSO and three bars

 

Yes we have but stick'em in - I hang my head in shame and admit that I forgot to add them when posting earlier.

Do you happen to know anything about Maddox - elusive figure, couldn't find much on the web which surprises me with his 127 (!!) Air Medals

 

Aleksandr Ivanovich Pokryshkin - USSR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Ivanovich_Pokryshkin

Three Hero of the Soviet Union golden stars
Four Orders of Lenin
Order of the October Revolution
Four Orders of the Red Banner
Two Orders of Suvorov (2nd class)
Two Orders of the Red Star
a number of other medals, and foreign orders, such as the USAAF (US Army) Distinguished Service Medal

 

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub - USSR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Nikitovich_Kozhedub

Two Orders of Lenin
Seven Orders of the Red Banner
Order of Alexander Nevsky
Two Orders of the Red Star
Order of the Patriotic War First Class
and numerous medals.

 

Samuel Nathan Blatchford Master Sergeant, United States Air Force

Blatchford earned 28 medals including:

Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster
four Purple Hearts
six Air Medals
Prisoner of War Medal.
The French government presented him with its Freedom Medal for his work with the French Resistance, a Citizenship Medal bestowing honorary citizenship, as well as the key to the city of Lisio.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/snblatchford.htm
http://www.casperstartribune.net/ar.../wyoming/dc459a30c3678743872570eb00067649.txt