Four: Flying Officer C. Allingham, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who completed an operational tour in the Middle East in Marauders of No. 14 Squadron in 1942-43, often coming into contact with enemy aircraft and shipping

1939-45 Star: Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, good very fine (4) £350-400

Allingham commenced his wartime career under pilot training in Derby in May 1941, and qualified for his Wing’s at No. 8 F.T.S. in early 1942.

Subsequently ordered to the Middle East that December, he joined No. 14 Squadron, one of just two R.A.F. units equipped with Marauders, the beginning of a nomadic existence with frequent moves from one desert landing ground to another, in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Early on, however, he had to acquaint himself with the powerful B-26 Marauder, an aircraft that was notoriously difficult to handle and which had received a mixed welcome in lieu of a number of fatalities caused by the failure of its tailplane - hence its nickname “The Widow Maker”. But by March 1943, Allingham was sufficiently qualified as a 2nd Pilot to go operational, his first sortie being an offensive sweep over the Tyrrhenian Sea on the 26th.

As evidenced by his detailed Flying Log Book entries, he subsequently completed a further 30 sorties between then and August 1943, venturing out over the Mediterranean on reconnaissance and anti-shipping sweeps, off Corsica, Italy, Sardinia and Sicily, and frequently coming into contact with the enemy. In fact he mentions three separate occasions of coming under fire from enemy shipping and at least two close calls with enemy aircraft - one of them of 10 minutes duration off Sardinia in June. And yet another encounter with the enemy occurred on 14 July, as described in his relevant Flying Log Book entry:

‘Recce. W. Coast of Sardinia & Corsica-Spezia. Diverted by radio to locate and shadow a naval force from Leghorn. Not contacted. Chased by 4 Ju. 88s. Sighted 2 M.Vs, 9,000 and 2,000 tons and 1 destroyer (larger M.V. subsequently torpedoed). 4 Me. 111s and 1 French (Vichy) float plane.’

Allingham completed his tour in late August 1943, having notched up 230 hours of operational flying time, and was ordered back to the U.K., where he took up an appointment at a training unit. And he remained similarly employed at assorted AFUs until the end of hostilities. Afterwards gaining experience in Mosquitoes, he appears to have been released from the service in March 1946.

Sold with a good quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book (Form 414), covering the period May 1941 to March 1946, with detailed operational entries and occasional photographs; Air Ministry forwarding certificate and named and numbered issuance slip for his 1939-45 awards; a fine array of wartime photographs (approximately 45 images); his silk evasion map for the North African theatre of war; and further assorted documentation, including typed instructions for pilots of Marauders, a “blood chit” and a portrait sketch of the recipient in pencil.