A Second World War bomb-aimer’s D.F.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant W. A. Timms, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action towards the end of his first operational tour in April 1943

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1220111 Sgt. W. A. Timms, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals, these last four privately engraved, ‘1220111 Sgt. W. A. Timms, 115 Sqdn., R.A.F.’, generally extremely fine (5) £1200-1500

D.F.M. London Gazette 20 July 1945 (with effect from 26 April 1943 (since deceased)). The original recommendation states:

‘Sergeant Timms has completed a total of 26 operational sorties as a Bomb Aimer in this squadron and throughout his tour has shown the highest courage and determination in the face of the enemy. Sergeant Timms is a very good Bomb Aimer and has set a very high standard of keenness and skill. He has always shown great keenness to fly on operational missions.’

Wilfred Arthur Timms commenced his operational tour with No. 115 Squadron in October 1942, when the unit was equipped with Wellingtons and operating out of Mildenhall, Suffolk. Between then and early 1943, he flew on numerous minelaying missions, including the occasional regular bombing run to such targets as Milan, Lorient and Hamburg. But in March of the latter year, when the Squadron converted to Lancasters, and commenced operations out of East Wretham, Norfolk, a regular run of German targets generally filled the unit’s agenda, Timms participating in strikes against Berlin, Essen, Stettin and Stuttgart, among other cities. But on the night of 26-27 April, in a raid on Duisberg, his aircraft failed to return, its fate being summarised in W. R. Chorley’s definitive work, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War:

‘115 Squadron, Lancaster II DS609 KO-M: took-off 0108 East Wretham. Crashed in the target area. All were buried in the Nordfreidhof at Dusseldorf on 27 April, since when all their bodies have been exhumed and taken to the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.’

Timms left a widow, Irene Ada Agnes Timms, then resident at Bath, Somerset. He was 27 years of age.