A good Second World War D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant J. G. Rogerson, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a long-served night fighter specialist who claimed three enemy aircraft destroyed during a busy tour of operations in Mosquitos of No. 141 Squadron in 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’ and privately engraved, ‘J. R.’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, generally good very fine (5) £1800-2200

D.F.C. London Gazette 16 January 1945.

James Gibson Rogerson was born in Leeds in 1922 and was educated at Ingledew College, Roundhay and Worksop College.

Enlisting in the Royal Air Force in 1941, he commenced training as an Observer (Radio) and joined No. 1457 Flight at Predannack, Cornwall, in November 1941, which unit was operating in Havocs in conjunction with Hurricanes of No. 247 Squadron. He remained similarly employed - largely on night operations - up until and after the Flight was re-designated No. 536 Squadron in September 1942, in which month he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer, R.A.F.V.R.

In July 1943, having attended 54 and 62 O.T.Us, he joined No. 151 Squadron at Colerne, a night fighter unit then converting from Beaufighters to Mosquitos. He remained similarly employed until January 1944, amassing many hours on night patrols, sometimes operating out of Ford and Middle Wallop but, alas, with no luck.

No. 141 Squadron - 3 confirmed ‘kills’

In January 1944, on transferring to No. 141 Squadron at West Raynham, however, he commenced an operational tour of duty in Mosquitos equipped with A1 and Serrate, and quickly gained success. Thus a confirmed Me. 110 destroyed while supporting a raid on Berlin on the night of 30th:

‘Our aircraft obtained another visual at 600 feet and opened fire in a 5-6 second burst. E/A’s port engine burst into flames and it reared up and blew up, parts of it flying passed our aircraft, which pulled out of the way. Mosquito watched it spiral down in flames with thick black smoke pouring out and crew saw a dull reflection through cloud where E/A had crashed. It is claimed as one Me. 110 destroyed’ (combat report, refers).

Having then flown in support of Bomber Command raids on Meulan, Stuttgart, Berlin and Essen in March, Rogerson, and his regular pilot, Squadron Leader Rice, made four aborted chases over Essen on the night of 26-27 April, owing to ‘intense jamming’ throughout. Trips to Hasselt and Aachen proved equally unproductive in May, so, too, a spate of operations - including patrols off the Normandy beachhead - in June. Then in a patrol over Northern France at the end of the month - on the 27th - pilot and navigator achieved their second confirmed victory, a Ju. 88 shot down over Cambrai after a 30-minute chase:

‘Mosquito dropped back to 600 feet and opened fire from 10 degrees below and dead astern. Both engines of enemy aircraft burst into flames and bits flew off. Mosquito fired again causing large fires in both engines and large pieces were seen coming away. Enemy aircraft was now well alight and crosses on wings could be seen as it went down in a steep dive to port, up into a loop and passed straight over Mosquito to port behind, leaving a trail of thick black smoke. Enemy aircraft went vertically down and there was an enormous explosion just before it hit the ground in the Cambrai area at 0122 hours. Claimed one Ju. 88 destroyed’ (combat report, refers).

Ten days later, on the night of 7-8 July, Rogerson and Rice claimed a further confirmed victory, another Me. 110, near Amiens:

‘Mosquito opened fire with a four second burst at 600 feet range. Strikes were seen all along the top of the mainplane leading to a large explosion in the fuselage which was quickly well on fire. The E/A was now definitely established to be an Me. 110. E/A turned over on its back and passed underneath Mosquito and was followed down to 3,000 feet range on A.1 when blip disappeared. Mosquito straightened up and orbited to look for E/A and immediately a terrific explosion was seen directly below. Scattered pieces of E/A were seen floating down in flames and one large remnant hit the ground with a further explosion. Combat took place at approx. 8 miles N.W. of Amiens at 0050 hours at 10,000 feet height. One Me. 110 claimed destroyed.’

Rogerson and Rice, who were now half-way through their operational tour, went on to complete another dozen sorties over Belgium, France, Holland and Germany, sometimes being assigned to specific ground targets - thus a low-level strafe of an enemy airfield at Steenwijk on 17 September, on the eve of the airborne lift to Arnhem: ‘Very pleasant trip apart from very accurate moderate light flak experienced over target. Two large buildings damaged. Airborne invasion of Holland followed.’

On another intruder patrol over Holland at the end of the month, pilot and navigator damaged two trains and a motor vehicle in the Almelo area. Their final mission was flown on 6 October, in support of a Bomber Command raid on Dortmund.

Rogerson, who meanwhile had qualified as a Navigator Radio Leader, was awarded the D.F.C. and ‘rested’ at 51 O.T.U.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period September 1941 to March 1945, including carbon copy wartime combat reports; his Buckingham Palace D.F.C. forwarding letter; a section of map of Belgium and a wooden crest of 141 Squadron.