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Auction: 25003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 225

A good Second World War D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flying Officer L. C. Harris, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for 38 sorties as a bomb aimer in Halifaxes of No. 10 Squadron

Having got off to a shaky start - his aircraft endured three night fighter attacks on his very first sortie to Germany and ended with an emergency landing at R.A.F. Tangmere - he survived numerous daylight operations to France in the summer of 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1945'; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, all five privately engraved, 'F./O. L. C. Harris 179040 R.A.F.V.R. 10 Sqdn.', good very fine (5)

D.F.C. London Gazette 27 March 1945, the original recommendation states:

‘Pilot Officer Harris was posted to No.10 Squadron in April, 1944, and after completing 38 sorties comprising 163 operational hours has been screened and posted for instructional duties. He has operated against such heavily defended targets as KARLSRUHE, STUTTGART and ESSEN.

This officer has proved himself to be a fearless and most dependable member of aircraft crew, whose coolness in the face of intense flak on the run up to the target has been worthy of high praise. His ability as an Air Bomber has enabled his captain to bring back many good photographs of the target area.

On one occasion, he was the Air Bomber of a Halifax aircraft detailed to carry out a mining operation. On the run up to the allotted area, his aircraft. was coned and intense flak was encountered. Undeterred, he coolly and skilfully guided his aircraft, thus enabling the mines to be successfully laid.

Pilot Officer Harris has throughout his operational tour shown skill, determination and devotion to duty of a high order. I strongly recommend that his fine record fully merits the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, for which I have no hesitation in recommending him.‘

Leslie Charles Harris commenced aircrew training in Canada in January 1943 and, having qualified as an Air Bomber, was embarked for the U.K., where he attended further courses and was posted to No. 10 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Melbourne, Yorkshire.

And he flew his first sortie on the night of 24-25 April 1944, when he and his crew under Flight Sergeant Lavalley were detailed to attack Karlsruhe. It proved to be a hair-raising introduction to operational flying, their Halifax enduring three night fighter attacks and an emergency landing at R.A.F. Tempsford. And the bad penny turned up again just two nights later, in a sortie to Essen, when they had another close encounter with a night fighter.

In May, Harris undertook seven further sorties, Hasselt and Aachen among them, and the remainder of a French nature, including Boulogne, Berneval and Lens. And likewise in June, he flew five sorties to France, two of them of the daylight variety, for V-weapon sites were now high on the squadron's operational agenda.

Thus, in July, Harris flew no less than six daylight sorties, including multiple strikes on St. Martin l'Hortier and the Foret de Nieppe. He and his crew also visited Bottrop and Stuttgart towards the end of the month, the latter outing ending up with another unplanned landing down south. Nor did the pace slacken in August, nine sorties - seven of them of a daylight variety - being flown to France, among them a 'Gardening' trip to Brest from which they returned on three engines.

Now entering the closing stages of his operational tour - and having been commissioned as a Pilot Officer - Harris flew three further daylight sorties in September, as well as a nocturnal 'Gardening' trip.

Rested and awarded the D.F.C., he ended the war with an appointment in 34 Wing Support Unit and was finally released in January 1946.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, comprising:

(i)
The recipient's R.C.A.F. Flying Log Book for Aircrew other than Pilot, covering the period January 1943 to May 1945.

(ii)
His R.A.F. Airman's Pay Book and Service and Release Book.

(iii)
His warrant for the rank of Pilot Officer, R.A.F.V.R., dated 22 August 1944, framed and glazed.

(iv)
Wartime portrait photographs, in uniform (3).

(v)
A European Confederation of Veterans certificate for the 'Croix de Combatant de L'Europe', in the name of 'Mr. Harris' and dated 6 June 1982, framed and glazed.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£1,500 to £2,000

Starting price
£1200