My Dad was in the RAF from 1924 to 1930 - he qualified for the 'bullet badge' and flew on Vickers Virginias, Supermarine Southamptons, Fairey IIIs and the Blackburn Iris. He was also a qualified W/Op. In 1939 he was posted to France, and flew sorties in the Battle (recce) & Whitley (leaflet dropping). He was evacuated from Brest in Jun1940 after a month long convoy journey from the Reims area - he only just made it, and spent 6 hours in the water.
He also occasionally flew on Catalinas from Greenock before being commissioned and taking over as Adj on 120 Sqn in Iceland and Northern Ireland - he was awarded his AG badge and completed a number of Liberator sorties as well.
After the war he flew as a W/Op on a number of trooping flights to India & the Far East using Liberators and Yorks.
He stayed in the RAF until 1960 in administrative roles, but didn't always wear his AG badge, nor his Croix de Guerre medal ribbon for that matter - though I believe he was entitled.