Hi Walt
Ummm, OK....pretty simple and obvious to me but if medals aren't your thing then I guess you would not see it as being so obvious as I do.
While I cannot, at this time, provide you with
proof that Magee's family were
sent anything other than a Memorial Bar and Memorial Cross, the criteria for the various medals that I mentioned above certainly allow for the reasoning of him earning them by his service. Not awarded to him personally, of course, as SWW service and Campaign medals did not get issued until after the war. Certainly "earned".
Here is a brief qualification summary for the medals that I mentioned.
39/45 Star - 180 days operational service overseas between 3 September 1939 and either 8 May 1945 in Europe or 2 September 1945 in the Far East theatre. Special criteria- The award of a gallantry medal or Mention in Dispatches qualified the recipient for the award of the 1939–1945 Star, regardless of service duration. Personnel whose qualifying service period was terminated prematurely by their death or disability due to service were awarded this Star.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939%E...%20this%20Star.
ACE Star -The Air Crew Europe Star was awarded for operational flying from bases in the United Kingdom over Europe from the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 to 5 June 1944, the day before the D-Day Normandy Invasion, both dates inclusive.... Personnel whose required qualifying service period was terminated prematurely by their death, disability or wounding due to service, were awarded the Star regardless of service duration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Crew_Europe_Star
CVSM - - the Medal may be awarded....posthumously, to the survivor of a person of any rank in the armed forces of Canada who voluntarily served on active service and was killed in action or died as a result of an injury or disease, or an aggravation thereof, that was attributable to or was incurred during such active service; para 5(1)(b) at:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/.../FullText.html
1939-1945 War Medal - ...for award to citizens of the British Commonwealth who had served full-time in the Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945....The medal was awarded to personnel whose required service period was terminated prematurely by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war and whose service qualified them for one of the Second World War Campaign Stars. Personnel who had received one of the Stars for service of less than 28 days were also awarded the War Medal 1939–1945...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Me...9%E2%80%931945
Clear? Happy to help you with any Q's that you may have.
You did say "
...After much research, I've discovered that he did not qualify for any medals, given his very short time with the RCAF..." and I fail to see how you came to that conclusion given the clear criteria for each medal. He joined 10/10/40 and was killed in the UK 11/12/41. That's 14 months. May I ask you why you think that he did not qualify medals?
regards
Darrell