A good Second World War group of six awarded to Acting Squadron Leader C. D. Whittingham, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a Hurricane pilot who flew in No. 151 Squadron in the Battle of Britain and afterwards in No. 261 Squadron in Malta, claiming three destroyed and one probable, in addition to others damaged

1939-45 Star, with Battle of Britain (copy) clasp; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr. C. D. Whittingham, R.A.F.V.R.), good very fine and better (6) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Coldstream Guards, R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F. formed by the late Tom Baugh.

View
Collection

Charles Derrick Whittingham, who was born in March 1912, was appointed to a commission as a Pilot Officer on the Reserve of Air Force Officers in June 1931 and transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1938. Mobilised on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, and having attended No. 6 O.T.U. at Sutton Bridge, he was posted to No. 151 Squadron, a Hurricane unit operating out of Martlesham Heath, in July 1940.

Quickly thrown into a busy agenda of convoy patrols, Whittingham’s aircraft was damaged in a combat with 109s over the Thames Estuary on 29 July, compelling him to make a forced landing back at base. Returning to the Squadron from sick leave in late October, he was ordered to the Middle East in December, where he attended No. 70 O.T.U, before being posted to No. 261 Squadron in Malta. The latter appointment involved a lengthy flight from Capuzzo in Ismailia, the Hurricanes being equipped with non-jettisonable long range fuel tanks but no ammunition - the weight of the latter being deemed too risky to achieve the range required to Malta. One of Whittingham’s fellow pilots recalls the journey in Malta - The Hurricane Years 1940-41, by Christopher Shores and Brian Cull:

‘A loose ‘vic’ was formed on the Wimpey and I was on the outer starboard. Whittingham was the appointed leader of the Hurricane flight. The first portion of the flight, in beautiful Mediterranean weather, was still within fighter range of the Italian Air Force. Derna, about 40 miles west of Gazala, only fell the day we took off. Consequently, in loose formation, we kept up a fairly constant weave which settled down as we got further out to sea. The majority of the over four hour flight was uneventful, other than each of us listening to our engine note with considerable concentration. About 100 miles out we sighted a destroyer, a small speck with a white wake some 10,000 feet below us. It lay directly in our path and the Wimpey made no effort to avoid it. The next moment this fly speck erupted and the barrage burst about 2,000 feet below us. The Wimpey made a dignified concession and altered course to starboard by at least five degrees. The next burst was about 500 feet below us and slightly behind. It was quite astonishing how much muck came out of that little ship. We never did find out whether it was Royal Navy or Italian.

The rest of the flight was uneventful until we got a few miles from Malta. When we sighted Pantelleria away to port we commenced a light weave. Then we sighted the haze over Malta and shortly after the island, dun coloured and bare looking. As we approached the Grand Harbour Barrage opened up accompanied by more isolated groups of A.A. fire and we realised we had arrived in the middle of a raid. Rigid R./T. silence had been maintained throughout the flight to that point. We were almost over Fifla when we sighted a formation of Me. 109s slightly below us flying around the island cliffs (These were probably in fact Italian MC 200s, for no Messerschmitt Bf. 109s had yet reached the Mediterranean area.) They sighted us and attacked. There was no alternative but for us to attack even though we had no ammo. I am not sure of who did what at this stage. We went into them almost head on and they scattered then followed a short dogfight. Two Hurris stayed with the Wimpey which went hell for leather for Luqa and made it safely.

I think there were fifteen e./a. It was highly unusual for German pilots to attack from an inferior position, but it is possible our head-on attack threw them off balance. The melee was sharp and intense with our continuing pressing the attack, but when they broke we left them to it. It was pointless pursuing them with no ammo., and fuel was getting low. We landed at Hal Far where, according to my diary, we were met by A.V.M. Maynard - the first and only time I saw the man - who was intrigued by our un-R.A.F. appearance. This included some six days’ growth of beard and six days’ accumulation of sand where the grit would be most irritating. Water in the desert was reserved for tea, not washing! From Hal Far we moved to Takali where we joined the remnants of 261 Squadron. Subsequently, Whittingham suggested to the A.O.C. that we merited a Mention in Despatches for our flight and fight, but he knocked it back.’

The same source also refers to a diary kept by Whittingham while in Malta:

‘I drove “Lucky” [his pony and trap] to Valetta this morning. An air raid took place when we got there. The people rushing to the shelters upset “Lucky” a bit. We stopped with him. The A.A. guns did not worry him much, nor did a bit of shrapnel that whistled down near him. What with continual air raids (seven times a day) and the presence of 109s about the place it is a logical conclusion that our chances of survival are not very high. But one simply must not think about this; at any rate, I am enjoying myself while it lasts. February 18 - now that the risk of death is so much more increased I’ve been doing a spot of philosophising. My attitude is that somebody has to do the job and if I get bumped off, I have experienced much more than the average bloke.February 23 - I am to be made a Flight Lieutenant and given command of ‘B’ Flight. This will please mother.’

Whittingham was to remain actively engaged in Malta until being posted to North Africa in the summer of 1941, a period that witnessed him enjoy several successful combats. Thus a share in severely damaging an S-79 bomber and a CR. 42 claimed as destroyed on 1 February - most probably that piloted by Sergeant Magg. Andrea Baudone of 156 Gruppo.


So, too, after being appointed a Flight Commander, a Do. 215 destroyed in a combat over St. Paul’s Bay on the 25th, the enemy aircraft plunging into the sea in flames after a three second burst from astern. And in March a Ju. 88 damaged on the 5th. But it was on 28 April, as darkness fell, that he carried out his most successful sortie, claiming a He. 111 as destroyed, a Ju. 88 as a probable, and another of the same as damaged. He was given command of No. 261 in May, but, on the unit’s disbandment a few weeks later, he was ordered to the Middle East.

Little else is known about Whittingham’s wartime career, though he qualified for his Air Efficiency Award in December 1942, and he was released from the Service in 1946, in the acting rank of Squadron Leader. He died in April 1958; sold with file of research.