Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 3930    Session 15 (7.30pm Thursday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $2,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,800

GROUP OF FIVE TO RAAF AIR BOMBER KIA: 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; Australia Service Medal 1939-45. 423263 G H B Slinn. All medals impressed. Extremely fine.

Together with Memorial Scroll named to Flying Officer G.H.B.Slinn Royal Australian Air Force; telegram advice re KIA; commissioning document as officer in Citizen Air Force 19.2.1943; photo of Flg Off Slinn.

Ex Noble Numismatic Sale 77 (lot 2367) ex Ross Sutton Collection.

Geoffrey Herbert Brandon Slinn, born 16Nov1912 at Burwood, Sydney, NSW; Enl.20Jun1942; KIA 26/27Nov1944 with 138 Sqn.

On 10 & 11Sep1944 Flg Off Slinn's aircraft made the 1st daylight parachute drops of guns and ammunition supplies to the Belgian White Army (the Underground resistance). On 26/27Nov1944 Stirling Mk IV LK151 of No.138 Special Duty Sqn, No.3 Bomber Group was flying an SOE (Special Operation Executive) operation Tabledam 69 near Krengerup on Funen Island. The aircraft dropped 18 containers and left the drop zone. Nothing was heard of the aircraft after this and it was presumed crashed in the North Sea. No members of the crew were found. According to one theory the aircraft was brought down in the Little Belt by a JU88G however this was unable to be confirmed by the Danish Civil Defence. All seven crew members are recorded in the Runnymede Memorial Register as Missing in Action. These crew are 425800 F/Lt Reginald Ronald Witham DFC - Pilot (RAAF); J/24741 F/O Thomas Patrick McHale - Navigator (RCAF); 106680 P/O Charles Elleman - Wireless Op. (RAFVR); 1053405 F/Sgt Arthur Henry Bedggood - Air Gunner (RAFVR); 1622999 Sgt Kenneth Naylor - Air Gunner (RAFVR); 423263 F/O Geoffrey Herbert Brandon Slinn - Air Bomber (RAAF); 1890825 Sgt Reginald Hughes Berrett - Flt Engineer (RAFVR).

The crew are also commemorated on the Memorial at Rebild, Denmark: On support operations to the Danish Resistance Movement during the occupation 1940-1945 69 Allied airmen lost their lives. They defied the dangers of darkness and wickedness in their fight for freedom and peace. Therefore they shall be commemorated eternally with Denmark's gratitude.

With extensive research including photocopy of Flg Off Snell's logbook 9Nov1942-26Nov1944.