An outstanding Second World War glider and special operations campaign group of four awarded to Flying Officer G. A. Foster, Royal Air Force, whose action packed tour of duty in No. 296 Squadron included participation in support of the Sicily and D-Day landings, Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine, in addition to ‘special duties’ sorties delivering S.O.E. and S.A.S. teams to Occupied France

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £500-600

G. A. “Gerry” Foster commenced his training as Air Observer / Navigator in April 1941, prior to attending No. 42 O.T.U. and being posted to No. 13 Squadron, a Blenheim unit operating out of Odiham, in November of the same year. Not having seen operational service in the interim, he transferred to No. 296 Squadron, a Whitley unit based at Netheravon, in May 1942. Here, then, the commencement of his long association with glider - and paratroop - operations, for No. 296 had been formed direct from the ‘Glider Exercise Unit’ at Ringway earlier in the year.

“Husky” and “Fustian”

In the first week of June 1943, No. 296 and related units were detailed to fly 29 Horsas to Froha in North Africa, in readiness for the forthcoming Sicily landings, two of the Horsas being lost over the Bay of Biscay.

On the actual night of the invasion in July 1943, Foster flew in Squadron Leader L. C. Bartram’s Albemarle, towing one of numerous American supplied Waco Hadrian gliders to Syracuse, most likely with personnel from 1st Air-Landing Brigade embarked. A few nights later, on the 13th, Foster once more flew as Navigator to Bartram, this time delivering paratroops for the attack on Primosole Bridge, near Augusta (a.k.a. “Fustian”).

His skipper having been injured in a road accident in the interim, he next joined Wing Commander D. I. McMonnies’ crew, 296’s new C.O. They were back on operations on 2 October 1943, when they dropped Captain J. Timothy, M.C., 2nd Parachute Regiment, near Pescara, the latter’s task being to make contact with Allied P.O.Ws. The mission was a success and he was awarded a Bar to his M.C.

“Tonga”

Having returned to Hurn in Dorset at the end of 1943, No. 296 commenced training for “Tonga”, the airborne element of the forthcoming Normandy landings.

The Squadron subsequently moved to Brize Norton, from whence, at 1300 hours on the night of 5-6 June 1944, one of its Albemarles took-off with nine pathfinders from the 22nd Independent Parachute Company, who were to establish and mark DZs for the main force. Five minutes later, Wing Commander McMonnies - and Foster - took-off with a Brigadier J. H. N. Poett and fellow troops from 5th Parachute Brigade, who they dropped near the River Orne, in support of Major John Howard’s force at “Pegasus Bridge”.

Special operations

At 2320 hours on 7 June, McMonnies and crew once more took-off from Brize Norton, this time carrying members of the 4th S.A.S. (French Parachute Battalion), namely one of numerous “Cooney Parties” dropped in the wake of D-Day to carry out sabotage.

Likewise, Foster participated in ‘special operations’ to Brittany on 24 and 28 July 1944, to Central France on 25 August, and to S.E. Loire on the 27 August, the whole with McMonnies at the helm. Most likely these were a combination of S.O.E. and S.A.S. operations; by way of example, two “Jedburgh” teams were dropped over France on 25 August, Captain Lewis McDonald leading “Alfred” and Captain Michel de Carville leading “Arnold”.

It is worth noting four earlier trips flown by Foster to France, namely those undertaken on 19 February 1943 - ‘Operations - Creney Transformer’ - likely on behalf of S.O.E. agent Ben Cowburn, who was charged with sabotaging a power plant at Creney, near Troyes; also those flown on 3 February, 4 March and 30 March 1944; so, too, a later trip to Norway on 20 February 1945.

“Market Garden” and “Varsity”

In early September 1944, command of 296 Squadron devolved to Wing Commander T. C. Musgrave, O.B.E., D.F.C., who was one of the earliest of R.A.F. officers to have worked in conjunction with the Airborne Division. Notwithstanding the loss of a leg in a glider accident in North Africa in the previous year, ‘the number of lifts he subsequently carried out is scarcely surpassed by anyone’ (Lion With Blue Wings, refers); well, Foster aside, who now joined his crew for “Market Garden”.

At 1100 hours on 17 September 1944, Musgrave’s Albermarle departed Manston with a Horsa in tow, one of 25 lifts made by 296 on that date; the Squadron returned to Arnhem on the 18th, this time delivering 21 Horsas.

Then on 25 March 1945, after 296 had re-equipped with Halifaxes and moved to Earls Colne in Essex, Foster took part in his last major operation, the crossing of the Rhine, once again with Musgrave at the helm. As related by him above, the flak was impressive, as a consequence of which Foster was compelled ‘to calculate the return trip navigation in his head.’

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period April 1941 to December 1945, together with a quantity of wartime photographs (15), and assorted newspaper cuttings.