Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Wireless Operator’s D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant Harry Taylor, Nos. 77 and 102 (Ceylon) Squadrons, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’ and additionally inscribed ‘157976 Flight Lieutenant Harry Taylor’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, the first in its Royal Mint case of issue, together with named Buckingham Palace transmission slip for D.F.C., Royal Air Force Service & Release Book, and 11 original wartime photographs, nearly extremely fine (5) £500-600

D.F.C. London Gazette 16 February 1945.
The following details are taken from the original recommendation for the award of the D.F.C.: ‘Flight Lieutenant, No. 102 Squadron (Wireless operator (air)/Squadron Signals leader. Sorties 38; flying hours 249). Flight Lieutenant Taylor has completed one tour of operations in Bomber Command and has to date flown on another nine sorties during his second tour. These trips have included long anti-submarine patrols, attacks on German targets such as Berlin, Essen, Cologne, Hamburg and Dusseldorf and also objectives in occupied territory. Flight Lieutenant Taylor has at all times shown himself most keen to proceed on operations; he is ready to fly with any crew at any time. His courage, efficiency and enthusiasm have reflected in the high standard of the Section of which he is leader.’

Flight Lieutenant Taylor completed his first operational tour with No. 77 Squadron between January and September 1943. After further training at 18 OTU, he joined No. 102 (Ceylon) Squadron to begin his second tour of operations, his last recorded sortie being a raid on Cologne on 30 October 1944. Sold with additional research including copies from the Squadron Record Books for most of his sorties and ‘The Story of 102 (Ceylon) Squadron 1917-1956’ by Chris Goss.