An emotive Second War ‘Battle of Britain’ Spitfire pilot’s campaign group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant J. F. Soden, Royal Air Force, who flew with 266 and 603 Squadrons during the Battle, and claimed 2 enemy aircraft destroyed, 2 probably destroyed, and 1 shared destroyed, as well as being wounded during a crash landing, 17 August 1940, and being forced to bale out after combat, 25 October 1940. He went on to fly Tomahawks with 112 Squadron over the Western Desert, and added a further 1 enemy aircraft destroyed, 1 probably destroyed and 1 damaged to his score.

Soden was killed whilst returning to the UK in the troopship S.S. Laconia, 12 September 1942, when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-156. He was the last of three brother’s who all died on active service during the Second War

1939-45 Star, 1 clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star, with minor die flaw; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. D. M. Sodden, Green Down House, Bradford Road, Combe Down, Bath, Somerset’, and recipient’s Memorial Scroll named to ‘Flight Lieutenant J. F. Soden Royal Air Force’, extremely fine (5) £3,000-£4,000

John Flewelling Soden was the third son of Dr Wilfred Scovil Soden and Dorothy Maud Soden of Irwell, Abbey Terrace, Winchcombe. He was educated at Woodbridge, Essex and Cheltenham Technical College. Soden joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in August 1939. After pilot training at 9 F.T.S. and 5 O.T.U., Aston Down, Soden was posted for operational flying with 266 Squadron (Spitfires) at Wittering, 26 June 1940.

Battle of Britain

Soden moved with the Squadron to Eastchurch in August 1940, however, it was heavily bombed whilst there and forced to move to Hornchurch. Soden opened his account by sharing in the destruction of a He.115, 15 miles from Calais, 15 August 1940. His Combat Report gives the following:

‘I was flying Yellow 2. We were ordered off at 1600 hours to look for enemy flying boat reported off coast. We climbed, then enemy aircraft was reported flying at low altitude towards French Coast. Enemy aircraft was sighted flying over two unidentified ships, which began to zig-zag as we dived to attack. The enemy did turns at very low altitude. I noticed that the rear-gunner began firing at great range with a machine gun.

I did a No. 1 attack and used no deflection. Fuselage appeared riddled with bullet holes. The rear-gunner stopped firing before my last attack. The enemy aircraft crashed into the sea, and was still floating when I left.’

The next day, Soden was not so fortunate when in combat over Canterbury:

‘I was Green 2. We took off at about 1153 hours. I was in the last Section. We climbed, and I did lookout. When at about 19,000 feet the enemy aircraft were sighted in sections line astern above and in front.

The rate of climb was increased, and I was left slightly behind. I went full out, still slightly turning about, enough to see all round, when suddenly a heavy burst of machine gun mainly from behind and below, and I think cannon fire, hit my machine.

I lost control of the aircraft, but managed to pull out of the dive. I then crash landed north east of Faversham. There was a lot of shrapnel effect in the cockpit. The elevator control slackened, and to keep straight and level I had to hold the control columns well back. The elevator trimmer was shot away. The engine seemed loose....’

Soden was hospitalised with shrapnel wounds to his legs. He returned to operational flying when he was posted to 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron (Spitfires) at Hornchurch, 14 September 1940. Soden claimed a Me.109 as probably destroyed over Maidstone, 17 September 1940. He followed this up with an Me.109 destroyed, 30 September 1940:

‘I was flying Red 2 and followed Red 1, who went to attack about 6 Me.109’s which were below and climbing in line astern in a turn. I saw an Me.109 and I dived and did an astern attack from below.

He rolled over on his back and I spun away. He was still diving when I came out of the spin. I followed him through the cloud and saw him hit the earth. He was streaming glycol.’ (Combat Report refers)

The following month Soden continued to add to his score - claiming a Me.109 destroyed, 10 October, and a Me.109 probably destroyed two days later. His Combat Report for the the latter giving the following:

‘I was flying Red 3. We were patrolling the Maidstone patrol line at 15,000 feet and were ordered to 30,000 feet. We saw A.A. fire over eastern London and saw 30 plus e/a Me.109s below us. I climbed and attacked one of the top rear ones. Glycol came out of it in a dense cloud and it dived apparently out of control. I then attacked two others but with no apparent success. I returned to base through lack of fuel and oxygen.’

Soden was forced to bale out following combat with Me.109’s over the Sussex coast, 25 October 1940. He injured his right leg landing at Perryfields, and his Spitfire crashed at Stonelink Farm, Brede. Soden was admitted to the East Sussex Hospital at Hastings, and his period of convalescence was interrupted by news of the death of his father in March 1941 and the death of his eldest brother whilst serving with the Army.

Tomahawks and the Western Desert

Soden was employed on flying instruction duties, before being posted to the Western Desert for operational service with 112 Squadron (Tomahawks) in 1941. The Squadron was engaged in ground attack sorties and bomber escorts, with Soden claiming a Me.110 damaged after a formation of 10 Tomahawks surprised 6 enemy aircraft over Sidi Rezegh, 20 November 1941. Soden followed this up with another enemy aircraft destroyed and another probably destroyed, 5 December 1941:

‘Following hot on the previous day’s destruction, 112 sailed in again belting death to the Hun and his jackal partner. 10 bit the dust at the hands of 112 and 12 by the hand of 250. The enemy force was composed of 30 plus fighters and 30 plus Ju.87’s.... F/O Soden destroyed a Ju.87 and probably destroyed a Me110f.....’ (Squadron Operations Record Book refers)

Soden, having advanced to Flight Lieutenant, was posted back to the UK for a period of rest in September 1942. He was travelling in the troopship S.S. Laconia when she was sunk by the torpedoes of U-156 off the coast of West Africa, 12 September 1942.

Flight Lieutenant Soden, like his two brothers before him, lost life in service and is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

Sold with extensive copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient in uniform.

For other medals to the Soden family, see Lots 11 and 470.