A fine Second World War D.F.C. group of four awarded to Flying Officer W. Barfod, Royal Air Force, who returned to base in badly damaged Bostons of No. 107 Squadron on at least two occasions - sadly his luck ran out in November 1942, when his aircraft was downed in a low-level daylight strike against Courtrai

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1942’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, extremely fine (4) £1600-1800

D.F.C. London Gazette 8 December 1942. The original recommendation states:

‘Pilot Officer Barfod was posted to No. 107 Squadron, as Navigator/Bomb Aimer with Squadron Leader P. R. Barr, on 8 May 1942. He has done 13 operational sorties since that date.

On the night of 25-26 June 1942, Pilot Officer Barfod was Navigator in the leading aircraft of one of three pairs of Bostons detailed to attack Leeuwarden aerodrome, as part of the 1,000 bomber raid that night. This pair was the only one to find and bomb the target, although another pair was sufficiently close to confirm that the bombs fell among dispersals. This successful attack was made in the face of dazzling searchlights and accurate and intense flak.

Pilot Officer Barfod has also proved his all round ability and consistency by his accurate navigation and bomb aiming on circuses and low-level raids. On 15 September 1942, he was Navigator and Bomb Aimer in the leading aircraft of a box of six which obtained at least three direct hits on the Solglimt, a whale oil ship in Cherbourg harbour. P.R.U. photographs subsequently showed that the ship had been gutted by fire and appeared to be on the bottom of the basin.

On 22 September 1942, and 31 October 1942, Pilot Officer Barfod was one of the few navigators to direct his pilot on to the targets - the power houses at Comines and Pont-a-Verdin respectively - and to bomb them successfully.

The success of these sorties was due in large measure to Pilot Officer Barfod’s first class navigation and bomb aiming, allied with his coolness and determination under fire, and he is strongly recommended for the award of the D.F.C.’

Walter Barfod was born at Hessle, Yorkshire in August 1913 and served briefly in the Royal Corps of Signals (Territorials) before enlisting in the Royal Air Force in 1935. Applying for aircrew duties in late 1938, he underwent training as an Air Observer, qualified in June 1941 and was commissioned in April 1942, following which he commenced his operational career in No. 107 Squadron, a Boston unit operating out of Great Massingham, Norfolk - but not before completing three sorties with another unit. There follows a list of just some of the operations he flew over the coming months, as attached to the recommendation for his D.F.C.:

22 June 1942: Dunkirk - Led bombing of 2nd Box of 6 aircraft in high-level attack on docks. Direct hits were scored on Furnes A./D. in spite of intense flak. The aircraft was hit twice.

13 July 1942: Boulogne - Led bombing of 2nd Box of 6 aircraft in high-level attack on Outreau marshalling yards. Aircraft sustained considerable damage from heavy flak.

28 July 1942: Gilze Rijen - Low-level attack. Led pair of aircraft, both of which bombed dispersal areas with good results. Much flak and searchlight activity.

6 September 1942: Boulogne - Led bombing of 2nd Box in high-level daylight attack on docks. A stick of bombs fell across dock area. Considerable flak encountered.

15 September 1942: Cherbourg - Led bombing of 2nd Box of 6 aircraft in high-level attack on Solglimt whale oil ship and 2nd Box bombing on their leader. P./O. Barfod received direct hits on the ship which was destroyed.



22 September 1942: Comines - Low-level cloud level attack on the power station. Direct hits on turbine house in spite of very considerable accurate flak.

Several excellent accounts of such raids are to be found in Martin Bowman’s history of dramatic R.A.F. medium bomber raids over Europe in the last War, The Reich Intruders, including specific mention of Barfod.

Having then been advanced to Flying Officer in October, he was posted missing after a daylight sortie against the marshalling yards at Courtrai on 7 November, the fate of his aircraft Boston III OM-22157 - which crashed into a pond at Lietard Farm, near Wevelghem - being described in a letter from No. 107’s C.O., Wing Commander R. H. Dutton, to Mrs. Barfod, on the 9th:

‘The Squadron was detailed for a low-level attack on a target in enemy occupied territory. Just as the formation was reaching the target the aircraft in which your husband was the Navigator was seen to be hit, crashing almost immediately. Those are the bare facts as we know them at present, and I am afraid that I cannot hold out any hope for you ... ’

About three weeks later, on the 19th, Dutton once more wrote to Barfod’s widow:

‘I am writing to let you know that His Majesty the King has approved the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross in the name of your husband, for gallant service rendered before he failed to return from operations.

Coming at the moment, the award may seem a little hollow to you, but in years to come, when you have recovered from the shock of your sad loss, I hope that you will look upon it as a token of homage from the Service in which your husband so gallantly gave his life.’

Having then received her late husband’s D.F.C. at a Buckingham Palace investiture held on 12 May 1943, Mrs. Barfod received the following report from the Air Ministry that December:

‘I am directed to refer to a letter from this Department dated 20 April 1943, and to inform you with regret that a report had now been received from the International Red Cross Committee, Geneva, which states that your husband, Pilot Officer W. Barfod, Royal Air Force, was buried in the cemetery at Wevelghem, a suburb of Courtrai, Belgium, together with other members of the crew who also lost their lives in the same operation.’

Final closure arrived in the form of another Air Ministry report in July 1945, via the Wermacht Information Bureau:

‘The accompanying report states that the funeral took place on 9 November 1942, and that a Captain of the German Air Force, a band, a Guard of Honour, bearers and men carrying wreaths took part. The band played “I Had a Comrade”, arms were presented and the coffins lowered into the graves. After the wreaths had been placed near the graves a salvo was fired over the open graves.’

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Buckingham Palace memorial scroll in the name of ‘Flying Officer W. Barfod, Royal Air Force’, and investiture letter, dated 12 May 1943; Air Council condolence slip in the name of ‘Flying Officer W. Barfod, D.F.C.’; letters from 107’s C.O., Wing Commander R. H. Dutton, to Mrs. Barfod (3), all dated in November 1942; letters from the Air Ministry to Mrs. Barfod (4), April 1943 to October 1948; three wartime newspaper cuttings reporting on the award of the recipient’s D.F.C.; and an Imperial War Graves Commission communication, dated 20 October 1953.