Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Lot 2940    SESSION 14 (2.30PM THURSDAY 1ST AUG)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Estimate $9,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

DFC GROUP OF FOUR: Distinguished Flying Cross (GRI [GVIR]); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, - clasp - France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45. 1944 engraved at the reverse base of the arm of the first medal, the other medals unnamed as issued. Court mounted, toned extremely fine.

Together with,^1) A riband for the first three medals with a rosette on the last riband.^2) RAF Pilot's Flying Log Books (2) from 10 October 1941 to 29 January 1946, includes a few photos including one of Fearn.^DFC: Supplement to LG 21/4/1944, p1837 - to Pilot Officer Arthur William Fearn (159883), RAF Volunteer Reserve, No.57 Squadron. ^Recommendation: P/O Fearn was posted to No.57 Squadron from 1662 Con. Unit on the 28th June 1943. He has taken a part in attacks against many strongly defended targets in Germany, including 8 of the recent attacks on Berlin. P/O Fearn has shown courage and resolution throughout his tour. His example has been responsible for the excellent offensive spirit in his crew. P/O Fearn is strongly recommended for the award of DFC.^Arthur William Fearn joined the RAF in October 1941. He trained in Tiger Moths with 2 EFTS, then trained in America in Vultee BT13 then returned to England with No.6 AFU (Advanced Flying Unit) and was posted to 27 OTU (Operational Training Unit). He flew a Wellington to Paris on a leaflet raid, then on 1 July 1943 he was posted to Scampton with No.57 Squadron (Lancasters). His first operational flight was to Cologne on 3 July 1943 followed by further operations in the next few months. On 4 October 1943 during an operation to Frankfurt his aircraft encountered a German JU88 over the channel and his aircraft was holed by flak. In November 1943 he flew four operations in 8 days taking part in the Battle of Berlin with a total of 8 operations over Berlin between November 1943 and January 1944.^He flew a total of 21 operations with 57 Squadron before being posted to 617 (Dambuster) Squadron in February 1944. His first flight on 23 March 1944 was on a special operation to the Aero Works in Lyons, followed by two further operations to Lyons a few days later. Then on 5 April he flew another special operation on an aircraft factory in Toulouse followed by operations over Villacoublay (near Paris), Brunswick and Munich. In May the squadron was preparing for the D-Day landings and on 5/6 June launched a special operation with the co-operation of the Sea-Borne Forces to fly a decoy mission. The squadron flew in a low-level box pattern thus affecting the German radar with the radar operators believing that the invasion fleet was heading for Le Havre and not Normandy.^On 8 June the squadron bombed the Saumer Railway Tunnel as the allied commander believed the Germans would use the tunnel to move a Panzer unit to the Normandy battlefield. This operation marked the end of Fearn's 1st Tour of Operations and his log book is signed by Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire VC. Cheshire normally asked crews if they wanted to continue on operations and Fearn elected to continue and on 14 June 1944 flew over Le Havre destroying U Boats and E Boat Pens with the new tallboy bombs. A similar operation followed on the next day over Boulogne and on 20 July during a special operation in the Pas de Calais area Fearn records 'target obscured by the cloud, ordered to bring 'bombs' back, landed with some 60,000 lbs. Saw first Buzz-Bomb crossing sea, over coast, then destroyed by Ack-Ack fire.'^On 25 July Fearn's aircraft was hit by flak over the target, the bomb release cable was severed and they were unable to aim bombs so they released them manually. Fearn flew 45 operations with 24 of them with 617 Squadron, the last operation with that squadron was on 18 August 1944. He was then posted as a flying instructor and then to Coastal Command Development Unit before returning to an operational squadron, No.15 Squadron, in June 1945. The final entry in Fearn's log book is on 29 January 1946 and he flew a total of 1,124 hours 51 minutes.