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Auction: 4020 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 101

A Great War Western Front Bomber Pilot's D.F.C. Group of Six to Wing Commander W.G. Preston, Royal Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (2774 Pte W.G. Preston. 18/Bn. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. W.G.Preston R.A.F.); War and Defence Medals, with M.I.D. Oak Leaves, good very fine, the Great War medals mounted as originally worn, with related group of four miniature awards, eight photographs, and a newspaper cutting (6) Estimate £ 2,000-2,500 D.F.C. London Gazette 21.9.1918 Lt/T/Capt. R.A.F. 'This officer has taken part in seventy bombing raids, and has rendered most valuable service on reconnaissance duty by night. One night he carried out three most successful bombing raids on hostile rest billets, dropping his bombs and engaging the enemy troops with great effect. He sets an excellent example of skill and gallantry.' In a press interview Wing Commander Preston later recalled 'I was serving as a Flight Lieutenant in the 5th Brigade, and on March 23, 1918, just after the 'big push' I and my observer, an Irish Flying Officer named Kelly, were detailed to fly over the German lines and destroy what appeared to be an engineers dump in the forest of St. Gobain, near Crepy-en-Laonnais. We found the dump all right, but no sooner had we got above it than we were trapped in the rays of searchlights. I could distinguish a shed some 100 feet in length pointing towards Paris, and a number of sheds surrounding it. We dropped two or three of the 20-pound bombs, and no sooner had we done so than the machine-guns surrounding the shed came into action. We could see the Germans scurrying about like frightened rabbits. Another 20-pounder, and all the huts were wiped out. We might have disturbed a hornet's-nest. Machine-gun bullets whistled around us. Having expended our ammunition, we flew back to our base, refuelled, and took on board another supply of ammunition. A few minutes later we were heading for that dump again. Immediately they heard the noise of our engine the Germans turned their search-lights upon us once more and put up a barrage of machine-gun bullets. Once again we swooped down to 700 or 800 feet and, twisting and turning to avoid their fire as much as possible, we bombed them again. Unfortunately we did not know that we were bombing 'Big Bertha'. Had we known we should have used much larger bombs. But we destroyed all the huts, and no doubt killed many of the gun's crew.' Wing Commander Walter George Preston, D.F.C., born 13.1.1893 in Loowong, Queensland, Australia; Lieutenant R.A.F., 1.4.1918; Flight Lieutenant 1.1.1923; Temp Squadron Leader 1.3.1941; Temp. Wing Commander 1.9.1942

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£3,000