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Auction: 1008 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 135

A Fine Second War ´Escapers´ Group of Seven to Flight Lieutenant A.L. Loudon, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Whilst on a Special Mission Carrying a Greek General and Secret Documents Bound For Sarajevo, His Blenheim Crashed Over Yugoslavia, 10.4.1941; Captured By the Italians, He Managed to Escape, Despite Having a Crushed and Fractured Spine 1939-1945 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R. (Plt. Off. A.L. Loudon. R.A.F.V.R.); Greece, Kingdom, War Medal 1940-41, generally good very fine, with the following related original items and documents &c.: - Blenheim Bomber Compass, mounted and with a plaque reading: ´Compass Presented To Flt. Lt. A.L. Loudon (Observer), A.E. On A Return Visit To Bar, Yugoslavia In 1988 Retrieved From His Mk 1 Blenheim Bomber, 84 Sqdn, RAF. When It Crashed At Bar On A Special Mission To Sarajevo 10 April 1941´ - The King´s Badge, in card case of issue - Observer´s Cloth Half Brevet; riband bar; Goldfish Club Cloth Badge and named Membership Card - Card box of issue for Second War Campaign Medals, addressed to ´F/Lt. A.L. Loudon, 3 Dyar Terrace, Winnington, Northwich, Cheshire´, with enclosure slip; named card box of issue for Air Efficiency Award, with enclosure letter, dated 2.6.1948 - Royal Air Forces Escaping Society Membership Card - Copy of Diplomatic Passport issued to Loudon by the British Consul in Madrid to aid his return to the UK - Original Rail Ticket issued to Loudon for the journey from Madrid to Valencia De Alcantar, the Spanish Frontier Station and Customs Point - A number of photographs of the recipient and his family and of Loudon´s return visit to Yugoslavia in May 1987 - Two Letters from the recipient, dated 2.3.1985 -A typed series of interviews with Loudon - Two Letters from the Grave Registration Department, War Office concerning his brother´s burial, dated 24.7.1942 and 24.5.1943; and a comprehensive file of research (lot) Estimate £ 800-1,200 Flight Lieutenant Adam Letham Loudon (1914-1993), born Lesmahagow, Scotland; he was one of three brothers, one of whom was killed at Dunkirk; worked as a Surveyor in the Mining Industry prior to enlistment in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, August 1939; carried out initial training as an Observer (Air), Air Navigation School, Perth; R.A.F. Uxbridge and No. 10 Bombing and Gunnery School, Warmwell, Dorset before being posted as Sergeant Observer (Air) No. 13 O.T.U., Bicester and 101 Squadron, West Raynham; posted for operational service 139 Squadron (Blenheims), Horsham St. Faith, July 1940, ´On the 7th August 1940, we were on Battle Order but due to adverse weather conditions were not detailed to fly on operations. Later in the morning we were detailed to take off for bombing and gunnery practice at the Group range at Wells. The pilot was briefed to practice low flying and during a turn the aircraft hit the sea´ (Interview refers); a part of the plane ripped off on impact and Loudon found himself tumbling out and under water; the crew spent 5 hours in a dinghy before they were picked up by the trawler Galvani, ´I recollect one of the crew with a teapot asking if we wanted a cup of tea. The "tea" was rum!´; Loudon suffered a wrenched back and cuts to his face and legs; Loudon volunteered for service in the Middle East and flew out to Egypt in November 1940, being posted from there to 84 Squadron (Blenheims), Menidi, Greece; he started flying sorties again in January 1940, ´On return to operations, many were flown when the weather was really unfit. The sorties were mainly to shipping, dock installations, airfields and troop concentrations in Albania. We made a successful attack which we led on an airfield at Rhodes. I also recollect a mercy mission to Larissa, taking blankets and medical supplies following an earthquake there at the beginning of March 1941. On the day before we were to fly on a special mission, we bombed a German armoured column coming out of Salonika into Greece.´ Special Mission to Sarajevo Loudon together with Pilot Officer John Eldred and Sergeant Jack Acres were detailed to fly a Greek General, carrying secret British documents planning an attack by Greek and Yugoslav forces against the Germans, to Sarajevo, ´On the 10th April, 1941 we took off at dawn in a snowstorm.... when nearing the Albania/Yugoslav border, the weather conditions were so bad our Pilot decided to make a landing in a field, which I think was an airfield under construction at a place called Bar in Yugoslavia. Just prior to landing, I strapped the General into my seat and I knelt on the floor of the aircraft in readiness for the landing, but we had failed to see a 9 foot wide water filled trench, covered with green scum. I assumed it had been dug to prevent enemy aircraft landing. On landing the aircraft´s undercarriage went into the ditch and all I could remember after the crash, since I passed out for a time, was fighting for breath, a strong smell of petrol, struggling to get out of the aircraft and dropping over the side onto the bank of a ditch... After releasing my parachute harness, I passed out´; some villagers carried Loudon unconscious to the house of a woman called Madame Kralovic who tended to his wounds as best as she could before arranging for him to be sent to hospital in Cetingji; Loudon had temporarily lost the use of his legs, and whilst in hospital he received a visit from some of the British Legation staff from Belgrade; the latter had organised an evacuation by a Sunderland aircraft from the Yugoslav Naval Base at Kotor; Loudon and Acres arrived in time to see the aircraft take off with their pilot on board; Loudon was given a civilian suit and prepared to be evacuated the following day on a Destroyer; the ship did not arrive, but the Italians did; Loudon was returned to hospital and an armed guard was placed on his door; flown to Italy, Loudon was interrogated by ´a Black Shirt Officer´ in Rome before being transported to Chianchano; at Chianchano he and Acre discovered that they were going to be sent to Sulmona POW Camp. Escape Loudon and Acres ´decided that the appropriate time had arrived to escape. On our last night in our hotel, we followed the usual drill, plied our guards with cognac and chose our time to leave to walk to the station. Due to my injuries I had to take my time. We finally arrived at the station about 20 minutes before the train was due to leave, and with all the activity taking place, boarded from the opposite side of the platform.... and locked ourselves in a lavatory´; co-incidentally the British Legation Staff from Belgrade were on the same train, ´After the train had started, the time passed without incident, and then early in the morning, we heard a voice with a Yorkshire accent, followed by a kick at the door. He sounded somewhat annoyed that the lavatory had been engaged so long. I opened the door and identified ourselves and he told us he was a Radio Operator with the Legation Staff in Belgrade..... So as not to draw attention to us in the locked lavatory, the Radio Operator kept us posted as to what was going on by talking through an adjacent window to ours´; as the train pulled into the French border station Loudon was informed that the border guards were aware of their escape and were searching the train, the Legation Staff detrained to the French train waiting for their onward journey, ´We decided to move, got down onto the track between the trains and boarded the French train to find another lavatory to lock ourselves in. After the train had started on its journey through Vichy France to the Spanish Border, we came out of hiding and joined the Legation Staff in their carriage. I recollect how excellent the food was on the train having been prepared by a French Chef.´ Return to the UK Upon arrival in Spain the train was greeted by representatives from the British Embassy in Madrid; the latter were present to smooth the repatriation of the Legation Staff - this proved fortunate for Loudon and Acres as when the Spanish officials came to check for documents they had none; after a brief exchange of words, and possibly something else, between the Embassy staff and the Spanish official the British airmen were quickly waived through and taken to the Embassy; photographed still wearing the same civilian suit that he had been given in Yugoslavia Loudon was issued with a British Passport, in which he was described as a ´Railway Engineer´ and given a Diplomatic Visa for return to the UK via Portugal; landing in Bristol, 19.6.1941, ´from the special mission in Greece on the 9th April, earlier in the year, my travels had taken me from Greece to Yugoslavia, Albania, Italy, Vichy France, Spain, Portugal, before my return to the UK.´ Return to Service After going through an MI9 Debrief Loudon was sent to Stonehouse Hospital, where it was discovered that as a result of the crash he had a crushed fractured spine of the 12th dorsal and proceeded to spend the next three months in plaster! Loudon was finally discharged from hospital in March 1942 and posted back to R.A.F. Uxbridge as a "non effective"; subsequent postings included as Wing Navigation Officer No.12 ITW St. Andrews, and after taking an Airfield Controllers Course he was posted in that capacity to Conningsby, ´the base of 617 Squadron of Dam Buster fame, with W/C L. Cheshire commanding´; he served at Conningsby, October 1943-January 1944 and he ´got a posting to Tangmere as a Fighter Sector Controller 2, just in time for "D" Day´; he finished the War as Assistant Adjutant to 192 Squadron, 100 Group, Foulsham; discharged 13.10.1945 and received a 50% disability pension for injuries received during War service; after the War he returned to Engineering, working with ICI, before retiring in 1972; he returned to Bar in 1987, where he was presented with the Flight Compass from his crashed Blenheim and met Madam Krztalovich and her family for the first time since the War.

Sold for
£2,000