Czernin, Count Manfred Beckett
Encyclopedia
Manfred Beckett Czernin was a World War II
Royal Air Force
Pilot
and later in the war was an operative with the Special Operations Executive
.
, the fourth son of Count Otto von Czernin
, an Austrian diplomat, and his English wife, Lucy, daughter of the Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe
. Several years after he was born his parents were divorced and young Manfred moved to Italy
with his mother, but was educated in the United Kingdom at Oundle School
. In September 1931 he moved to Rhodesia
to work on a tobacco plantation.
on a short service commission. Qualifying as a pilot, he was posted to No. 57 Squadron RAF
at RAF Upper Heyford
, and enjoyed several more squadron postings until placed on the Class A Reserve.
Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities, Czernin passed a fighter pilot assessment course and was posted to No. 504 Squadron
at RAF Debden
in January 1940. A few days later, was transferred to No. 213 Squadron
at RAF Wittering
and in May to No.85 Squadron
, flying a Hurricanes
.
Just like others in the BEF
, this unit had a hard time in fighting against the German Luftwaffe
. On 16 May had to walk back to his Squadron at Lille Airport after force landing his aircraft, damaged by a Bf 109
of 3/JG76. On 19 May he shot down an Heinkel He 111
and two Dornier Do 17
, and an Henschel Hs 126
the next day, adding one more Heinkel 111 to his tally on 12 May before he returned again to England
on 21 May by boat. Upon his return he was posted to No. 17 Squadron at RAF Martlesham Heath
.
of II/KG2 on 12 July (shared) which crashed into the sea near a convoy off Orfordness. In the following month he shared a Ju 88
on 21 July and got three Bf 110s
(including one shared) on 25 July.
Later on, Czernin shot down two more Bf 110s on 3 September, a Bf 109 and two shared Heinkel 111s on 5 September, a Bf 110 on 11 September, a Ju 88 shared on 19 September and one more Bf 110 on 27 September and a Do 17 shared on 24 October.
Czernin was shot down himself on 17 November by German ace Adolf Galland
in a combat over RAF Wattisham
. Despite being wounded, he managed to escape by parachute. His Hurricane crashed just west of Bradfield Church.
In May 1941 he was posted to an Operational Training Unit at RAF Debden
and promoted to Acting Squadron Leader
in December. In February 1942 he was given command of No. 146 Squadron RAF
, in India
, and later on was posted to HQ No. 224 Group as a Staff Officer. He returned to the United Kingdom
to take up a similar posting at HQ No. 28 Group, RAF Uxbridge
, until he was recruited by the Special Operations Executive
under the cover of another similar assignment.
, not far from the Austrian border, on the night of 13 June 1944, winning in the process a Military Cross
for his decision to go ahead with the jump in spite of dubious signalling from the "welcome party" on the ground: as a matter of fact, it was not infrequent for the Germans to try and intercept Allied airdrops to get hold of both of men and supplies directed to the Italian Resistance.
A fluent speaker of Italian
, Czernin operated from a farmhouse in the Tramonti
area near Pordenone, and he set up a very effective Partisan network before being picked up by a Lysander
special operations aircraft and flown back to Bari at the end of the year.
His second mission took place in March 1945 when he parachuted in Lombardy
, taking command of the operations that led to the surrender of Bergamo
.
After the war Count Czernin was accused of arranging the execution of 43 Italian fascist
servicemen of the Legione Tagliamento during the night of 27/28 April 1945 ("Rovetta
massacre). Historian Grazia Spada, however, maintains that the leaders of the largest Partisan brigades in the area were liable for the execution, and that the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale
had planned it well before the final uprising against German forces and their Italian allies.
as a Squadron Leader
in October 1945, he became sales manager for Fiat
in England, but died suddenly on 6 October 1962.
cited his "great keenness in his desire to engage the enemy" and specifically mentioned that in August 1940, "he led his section in a head-on attack on large formations of enemy aircraft, destroying three of them."
Military Cross
"On the night of 12–13 June 1944, Squadron Leader Czernin and his Wireless operator were to be dropped into enemy-occupied territory, but the reception signals were not satisfactory and they returned to base. On the following night, the reception was again incorrect. Entirely regardless of his own safety, Squadron Leader Czernin decided to jump with a view to making a personal reconnaissance of the situation. This he did without arms of any description and with the full knowledge that the Germans are constantly arranging bogus receptions for the receipt of Allied personnel and stores. On landing, he found the reception committee to be friendly. Thereupon he flashed a signal to the aircraft which dropped the Wireless Operator and equipment. But for this courageous action, a most vital operation would have had to be postponed at a stage when the time was of the utmost importance to the success of the major plan."
The Distinguished Service Order
was awarded for activities behind the enemy lines in March to April 1945. Directed to "co-ordinate the various scattered Partisan units into a unified command" which was to "carry out the directions of 15 Army Group" he was parachuted in. To reach the Bergamasco
area he had to cross the 9000 ft (2,743.2 m) Passo del Diavolo which was six feet deep in snow. On the move for 24 hours in the cold, he suffered frostbite
but crossed it on 4 April - his third attempt. Throughout his "energy and personality" he "quickly built up a large aggressive Partisan Command". The Partisans then began operations on 28 April 1945. Three enemy garrisons surrendered unconditionally, another three were captured or "eliminated". This was followed by the surrender of Bergamo. Czernin and leader of the Partisans, initially demanded unconditional surrender of the Germans. Boldly driving into the city in a car "draped with the Union Jack", they had to withdraw to after the Germans fired upon them. He ordered an attack on the city simultaneously with the underground elements within Bergamo. In the morning of 28 April 1945, Czernin obtained the unconditional surrender. The DSO citation said that he "displayed the highest qualities of leadership and by his courage and daring made a notable contribution to the Allied success in North Italy."
s:
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and later in the war was an operative with the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
.
Early Life
Czernin was born on 18 January 1918 in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the fourth son of Count Otto von Czernin
Count Otto von Czernin
Otto Graf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz , was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat during the time of World War I.- Life :...
, an Austrian diplomat, and his English wife, Lucy, daughter of the Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe
Ernest Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe
Ernest William Beckett, 2nd Baron Grimthorpe , born Ernest William Denison, was a British banker and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 until 1905 when he inherited the Grimthorpe peerage.-Biography:Beckett was the eldest son of William Beckett, younger son of Sir...
. Several years after he was born his parents were divorced and young Manfred moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with his mother, but was educated in the United Kingdom at Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
. In September 1931 he moved to Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
to work on a tobacco plantation.
Royal Air Force
Czernin returned to the United Kingdom in April 1935 to take up appointment as an Acting Pilot OfficerActing Pilot Officer
Acting Pilot Officer is the lowest commissioned grade in the Royal Air Force, being immediately junior to Pilot Officer. Unlike other RAF ranks which officers may hold in an acting capacity, Acting Pilot Officer is maintained as a separate grade. It normally denotes an officer who has recently...
on a short service commission. Qualifying as a pilot, he was posted to No. 57 Squadron RAF
No. 57 Squadron RAF
-History:57 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 8 June 1916 at Copmanthorpe, Yorkshire. In December 1916 the squadron was posted to France equipped with the FE2d. The squadron re-equipped with Airco DH4s in May 1917 and commenced long range bombing and reconnaissance operations near...
at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, and enjoyed several more squadron postings until placed on the Class A Reserve.
Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities, Czernin passed a fighter pilot assessment course and was posted to No. 504 Squadron
No. 504 Squadron RAF
No. 504 Squadron was one of the Special Reserve Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force. It was integrated into the AAF proper in 1936. Based at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, 504 Squadron used a variety of light bombers before being re-tasked to fighters with the Hawker Hurricane in 1939. It subsequently...
at RAF Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
in January 1940. A few days later, was transferred to No. 213 Squadron
No. 213 Squadron RAF
No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service...
at RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire....
and in May to No.85 Squadron
No. 85 Squadron RAF
No. 85 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently served as No. 85 Squadron based at RAF Church Fenton.-In World War I:...
, flying a Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
.
Just like others in the BEF
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
, this unit had a hard time in fighting against the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. On 16 May had to walk back to his Squadron at Lille Airport after force landing his aircraft, damaged by a Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
of 3/JG76. On 19 May he shot down an Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
and two Dornier Do 17
Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
, and an Henschel Hs 126
Henschel Hs 126
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
the next day, adding one more Heinkel 111 to his tally on 12 May before he returned again to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 21 May by boat. Upon his return he was posted to No. 17 Squadron at RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Martlesham Heath
RAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force airfield in England. The field is located 1½ miles SW of Woodbridge, Suffolk.- RFC/RAF prewar use:Martlesham Heath was first used as a Royal Flying Corps airfield during World War I...
.
One of "The Few"
Still with No. 17 Squadron, Czernin fought with distinction throughout the Battle of Britain, tallying a Do 17Dornier Do 17
The Dornier Do 17, sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift , was a World War II German light bomber produced by Claudius Dornier's company, Dornier Flugzeugwerke...
of II/KG2 on 12 July (shared) which crashed into the sea near a convoy off Orfordness. In the following month he shared a Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
on 21 July and got three Bf 110s
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten...
(including one shared) on 25 July.
Later on, Czernin shot down two more Bf 110s on 3 September, a Bf 109 and two shared Heinkel 111s on 5 September, a Bf 110 on 11 September, a Ju 88 shared on 19 September and one more Bf 110 on 27 September and a Do 17 shared on 24 October.
Czernin was shot down himself on 17 November by German ace Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
in a combat over RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
. Despite being wounded, he managed to escape by parachute. His Hurricane crashed just west of Bradfield Church.
In May 1941 he was posted to an Operational Training Unit at RAF Debden
RAF Debden
RAF Debden is a former RAF airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Saffron Walden and approximately 1 mile north of the village of Debden in North Essex.-RAF Fighter Command:...
and promoted to Acting Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in December. In February 1942 he was given command of No. 146 Squadron RAF
No. 146 Squadron RAF
No. 146 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a fighter unit in India in World War II.-Formation and World War II:Plans for formation of the squadron in World War I never came to fruition. It was formed in on 15 October 1941 at Risalpur, India, then moved to Assam where it was...
, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and later on was posted to HQ No. 224 Group as a Staff Officer. He returned to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to take up a similar posting at HQ No. 28 Group, RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
, until he was recruited by the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
under the cover of another similar assignment.
Special Operations in Italy
Czernin was parachuted into Northern ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, not far from the Austrian border, on the night of 13 June 1944, winning in the process a Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his decision to go ahead with the jump in spite of dubious signalling from the "welcome party" on the ground: as a matter of fact, it was not infrequent for the Germans to try and intercept Allied airdrops to get hold of both of men and supplies directed to the Italian Resistance.
A fluent speaker of Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Czernin operated from a farmhouse in the Tramonti
Tramonti
Tramonti is the name of several areas in Italy:*Tramonti, Campania*Tramonti di Sotto, Pordenone*Tramonti di Sopra, Pordenone...
area near Pordenone, and he set up a very effective Partisan network before being picked up by a Lysander
Westland Lysander
The Westland Lysander was a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft used immediately before and during the Second World War...
special operations aircraft and flown back to Bari at the end of the year.
His second mission took place in March 1945 when he parachuted in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, taking command of the operations that led to the surrender of Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
.
After the war Count Czernin was accused of arranging the execution of 43 Italian fascist
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
servicemen of the Legione Tagliamento during the night of 27/28 April 1945 ("Rovetta
Rovetta
Rovetta is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 80 km northeast of Milan and about 30 km northeast of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,611 and an area of 24.0 km².The municipality of Rovetta contains the...
massacre). Historian Grazia Spada, however, maintains that the leaders of the largest Partisan brigades in the area were liable for the execution, and that the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale
National Liberation Committee
The National Liberation Committee was the underground political entity of Italian Partisans during the German occupation of Italy in the last years of the Second World War. It was a multi-party entity, whose members were united by their anti-fascism...
had planned it well before the final uprising against German forces and their Italian allies.
Postwar
Discharged from the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in October 1945, he became sales manager for Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
in England, but died suddenly on 6 October 1962.
Awards
The citation for his DFCDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
cited his "great keenness in his desire to engage the enemy" and specifically mentioned that in August 1940, "he led his section in a head-on attack on large formations of enemy aircraft, destroying three of them."
Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
"On the night of 12–13 June 1944, Squadron Leader Czernin and his Wireless operator were to be dropped into enemy-occupied territory, but the reception signals were not satisfactory and they returned to base. On the following night, the reception was again incorrect. Entirely regardless of his own safety, Squadron Leader Czernin decided to jump with a view to making a personal reconnaissance of the situation. This he did without arms of any description and with the full knowledge that the Germans are constantly arranging bogus receptions for the receipt of Allied personnel and stores. On landing, he found the reception committee to be friendly. Thereupon he flashed a signal to the aircraft which dropped the Wireless Operator and equipment. But for this courageous action, a most vital operation would have had to be postponed at a stage when the time was of the utmost importance to the success of the major plan."
The Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
was awarded for activities behind the enemy lines in March to April 1945. Directed to "co-ordinate the various scattered Partisan units into a unified command" which was to "carry out the directions of 15 Army Group" he was parachuted in. To reach the Bergamasco
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
area he had to cross the 9000 ft (2,743.2 m) Passo del Diavolo which was six feet deep in snow. On the move for 24 hours in the cold, he suffered frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
but crossed it on 4 April - his third attempt. Throughout his "energy and personality" he "quickly built up a large aggressive Partisan Command". The Partisans then began operations on 28 April 1945. Three enemy garrisons surrendered unconditionally, another three were captured or "eliminated". This was followed by the surrender of Bergamo. Czernin and leader of the Partisans, initially demanded unconditional surrender of the Germans. Boldly driving into the city in a car "draped with the Union Jack", they had to withdraw to after the Germans fired upon them. He ordered an attack on the city simultaneously with the underground elements within Bergamo. In the morning of 28 April 1945, Czernin obtained the unconditional surrender. The DSO citation said that he "displayed the highest qualities of leadership and by his courage and daring made a notable contribution to the Allied success in North Italy."
Campaign Medals
In addition he received the following campaign medalCampaign medal
A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
s:
- 1939–1945 Star with Battle of BritainBattle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
clasp 
Air Crew Europe StarAir Crew Europe StarThe Air Crew Europe Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. Specifically, the medal was awarded to Commonwealth aircrew who participated in operational flights over Europe, from UK bases....
Italy StarItaly StarThe Italy Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for operational service in Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Pantelleria, the Aegean area and Dodecanese Islands, and Elba at any time between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945...
Burma StarBurma StarThe Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...- War Medal 1939-1945
External links
- http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/viewspecialcollections/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=37561 Site with Czernin bio. Retrieved 2010-20-09.