A Second War ‘1944’ A.F.C. group of four award to Flight Lieutenant A. A. Betts, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was employed as the Senior Instructor at the Mediterranean Transport and Ferry School, Transport Command. Later employed as a Staff Pilot for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, he was killed in a flying accident when his Avro Anson crashed at Bell Hill, Petersfield, 4 January 1952

Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’, in Royal Mint case of issue; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (FG. Off. A. A. Betts. R.A.F.V.R.) in named card box of issue, with Second War Campaign Medals card box of issue, addressed to ‘F/L. A. A. Betts, Orchard Cottage Mill Lane, Horley, Surrey’, and enclosure slip, generally very fine (4) £1200-1400

A.F.C. London Gazette 31 March 1944.

Arnold Alexander Betts was born in Lima, Peru to British parents in October 1917. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as Aircraftman 2nd Class under training in July 1937. Betts was almost immediately promoted to Sergeant, and Remustered as a Pilot in May 1939. He married Margaret Pearson in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia in August 1940, and advanced to Temporary Flight Sergeant in April 1941.

Betts was commissioned Pilot Officer on probation in May 1941, and advanced to Flying Officer in May the following year. In 1943 Betts was promoted Flight Lieutenant, and in 1944, ‘it happened in Shepheard’s Hotel [Cairo]. The Wing Commander, D.F.C., walked up to a Flight Lieutenant and greeted him with “Good morning, Sir.” Not so very long before, the Wing Commander had been a pupil pilot and the Flight Lieutenant had been his instructor in Rhodesia.

The instructor was Flight Lieutenant A. A. Betts, of Thames Ditton, Surrey, and Salisbury, Rhodesia. He is now senior instructor at the Mediterranean Transport and Ferry School of Transport Command. He has just been awarded the Air Force Cross.

Another recent recipient of the Air Force Cross is Squadron Leader H. L. Derwent, of Dolphin Square, London, and Salisbury, Rhodesia, who is chief flying instructor at the school.

Thousands of pupils of all Allied nationalities have passed through their hands. They were two of the original flying instructors in the Rhodesian Air Training Group. They worked together then. Derwent took over Bett’s pupils as they progressed from light aircraft to Harvards. They are two of the most experienced instructors in Transport Command.’ (copy of newspaper cutting included in the lot refers).

Betts was discharged in May 1947 (having received his Air Efficiency Award in January 1945), and was employed the following year as a Staff Pilot with the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He was killed in an air accident, 4 January 1952:

‘Three Ministry of Civil Aviation experts and another man were killed when their plane crashed at Bell Hill, Petersfield, Hampshire, last night. The plane hit a tree and burst into flames as it dived into marshy ground.

The Ministry men were Mr. A. S. Crisp, of Berryhill, Eltham, Kent, a telecommunications specialist; Mr. P. Meyer, of Tye Green, Essex’ and the pilot, Captain A. A. Betts, of Northolt-avenue, Bishop’s Stortford. The fourth man was an employee of the Decca Navigator Co.

Police and firemen were at first uncertain how many were trapped in the blazing wreckage, and for several hours they searched fields and woods in pouring rain for possible survivors.

The plane was a twin-engined Avro Anson, one of the silver and blue fleet maintained by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It took off from London Airport on radio flight trials.

Mr. H. R. Caplen, Petersfield fire chief, said remains were found in the wreckage.

Shortly after 6pm, people near Petersfield saw the Anson flying low and a flare dropped from it. Then it plunged into a field at Bell Hill, only 300 yards from houses.

On charred parts of the fuselage and wings police picked out the registration lettes G-AGZS.

The plane had been in the air for over an hour before the crash. Mr. H. Watts of Sussex road, Petersfield, was delivering a parcel when he heard it overhead.

“It was flying in heavy wind and rain,” he said. “Its engine was spitting and spluttering. I saw a flare drop and then there was a flash and an explosion.” (copy of newspaper cutting included in the lot refers)

Sold with several original photographs of recipient in uniform, and copies of original letters to recipient’s widow, copied newspaper cuttings, as well as a copied Record of Service.