A Second War ‘Bomber Command’ D.F.M. group of five awarded to Rear Gunner Flight Sergeant D. G. Lucking, Royal Air Force, who flew in at least 28 operational sorties with 90 Squadron, including Operation Hydra, the Peenemunde Raid, on 17-18 August 1943

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1254747. F/Sgt. D. G. Lucking. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, good very fine (5) £1,400-£1,800

D.F.M. London Gazette 23 May 1944.
The original Recommendation, dated 19 February 1944, states: ‘This N.C.O. has been an Air Gunner on 28 sorties against heavily defended targets. He has at all times been alert and has warded off all attacks with vigour and determination. He has continuously been willing and eager to encourage and train less experienced crews in the squadron and I recommend him for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Dennis Gilbert Lucking enlisted in the Royal Air Force and was posted as a Rear Gunner to 90 Squadron in June 1943, flying Stirling IIIs. His first operational sortie was a raid on Essen on 25-26 July 1943; further targets over the next six months included Hamburg; Nuremberg (twice); Turin (twice); Peenemunde (Operation Hydra, the attack on the the V-1 and V-2 rocket facility of Peenemunde on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom on 17-18 August 1943); Berlin (twice); Munchen Gladbach; Mannheim (three times); the Dunlop Works at Montlucan; Modane; Hannover (twice); Kassell; Bremen; and Leverkusen.

Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, Lucking was, along with his crew, posted out from the Squadron to Conversion Unit No. 1653 on 4 March 1944, and was promoted Flight Sergeant.

Sold with copied Squadron Operational Records giving details of the recipient’s operational sorties, and other research.