Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War D.F.C. and Bar group of eight awarded to Wing Commander R. L. Bowes, Royal Air Force, late Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who led No. 44 Squadron in the famous Peenemunde raid in August 1943, when his Lancaster was hit by flak and badly damaged, and afterwards in a strike against Berlin in which his aircraft had an engine put out of action by another hit

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1943’ and the reverse of the Bar ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S.E. Asia 1945-46 (Act. Wg. Cdr., R.A.F.); Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, 1st issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr., R.A.F.V.R.), mounted as worn, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, good very fine and better (16) £2500-3000

D.F.C. London Gazette 19 October 1943. The original recommendation states:

‘In the attack on the Experimental Station at Peenemunde on 17-18 August 1943, the Lancaster aircraft in which Wing Commander Bowes was captain was hit in the nose by an accurate burst of light flak during the run up to the target. This engagement resulted in the Bomb Aimer being seriously wounded and blinded in one eye, and the bomb sight being completely smashed. In spite of this difficult situation, however, Wing Commander Bowes went on to make a most determined and accurate attack on the target. When clear of the target area, on the homeward journey, he organised successful first aid treatment for the Bomb Aimer who was suffering considerable pain from perspex splinters in the face.

In the short time in which he has commanded No. 44 Squadron, Wing Commander Bowes has, through a quiet but strong personality and by his own determined operational example, inspired his aircrews with a vigourous offensive spirit and raised appreciably the efficiency and esprit de corps of the whole squadron. He has now completed 18 successful sorties, all, with one exception, against strongly defended German targets.

In addition, during his O.T.U. training, he did eight anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, during one of which he attacked a half-submerged U-boat and was credited with having probably damaged it.

I strongly recommend Wing Commander Bowes for an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 3 March 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Wing Commander Bowes has recently relinquished command of No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron on posting to staff duties. During his operational tour he completed successfully 23 sorties against enemy targets, including most of the well-known and notoriously well-defended German targets - Berlin (three times), Stuttgart, Mannheim, Peenemunde and the Ruhr.

His quiet courage, splendid efficient determination to reach and hit his targets, and an invariable eagerness to operate have always been obvious, as the following two episodes well illustrate:

During an attack on Peenemunde on 17-18 August 1943, Wing Commander Bowes’ aircraft was hit by an accurate burst of light flak during the run up to the target. The Bomb Aimer was seriously wounded, and the bomb sight completely smashed, but in spite of these difficulties a most determined and accurate attack was carried out. Again, in the Berlin attack on 18-19 November 1943, his aircraft was hit by flak shortly before bombing and one engine put completely out of action. A second and successful run up was, however, made, after which Wing Commander Bowes flew his damaged aircraft back to this country, eventually landing it without further damage in adverse weather conditions at an aerodrome on the south coiast of England.

His own splendid operational example was undoubtedly responsible in large measure for the many successes of the aircrews he commanded, while on the ground he never spared himself to train and equip these personnel so that they would be fitted to inflict the maximum damage upon the enemy at the least possible cost.

I strongly recommend Wing Commander Bowes for an immediate award of a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Robert Lawrence Bowes was born in April 1908 and held a private pilot’s licence prior to being commissioned on the Reserve of Air Force Officers in early 1933. Advanced to Flying Officer in September of the following year, he transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1938 and was advanced to Flight Lieutenant on the outbreak of hostilities.

Bowes served as a flying instructor in the U.K. and Southern Rhodesia until 1942, was awarded the Air Efficiency Award in the following year (AMO No. 131 of 1943 refers), and originally commenced his operational career as a Flight Commander in No. 207 Squadron, a Lancaster unit based at Langar, Nottinghamshire, in the rank of Acting Squadron Leader. But it was for his subsequent services in No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire, that he won his first decoration, and more specifically for his part in the famous Peenemunde raid of August 1943.

On that memorable occasion, in the rank of Acting Wing Commander, he led 44’s force of 13 aircraft, himself piloting Lancaster DV. 155, which, as outlined above, suffered severe flak damage - in fact 44 Squadron suffered heavily that night, three of its Lancasters failing to return with the loss of 20 lives (just one member of aircrew survived to be taken P.O.W.). Awarded an immediate D.F.C., three of Bowes’ crew were duly gazetted for D.F.Ms in the New Year.

Having completed his operational tour with No. 44 in February 1944, and added a Bar to his D.F.C. and been mentioned in despatches, the former no doubt prompted by his subsequent Berlin trips (London Gazette 14 January 1944 refers), Bowes joined H.Q. R.A.F. Scampton, where he served until attending a Staff College course that summer. A succession of staff appointments followed, until in March 1945 he joined No. 214 (Malay States) Squadron, a Fortess unit based at Oulton, Norfolk, and flying on radio counter-measure operations, in which role he would have been employed until the unit’s disbandment that July.

In September, he was ordered to South East Asia Command, in which theatre of operations he commanded No. 159 Squadron at Digri and Salbani until early 1946, a period that witnessed the unit’s Liberators dropping supplies to ex-P.O.Ws and to the starving inhabitants of Southern Burma - and Bowes notching up a further 180 hours’ flying time.

Having then been granted a permanent R.A.F. commission as a Squadron Leader, he next served as S.A.S.O. at No. 228 Group, followed by appointments at the Turkish Air Staff College in Istanbul 1948-50, the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia 1950-51, and H.Q., U.S.A.F., 92nd Wing at Fairchild, Washington 1951-53, and was latterly a Wing Commander attached to S.H.A.P.E. He had, meanwhile, been awarded a Bar to his Air Efficiency Award (AMO No. 866 of 1951 refers).

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s (Civil Authority) Journey Log Book, covering the period June 1931 to April 1933; his R.A.F.V.R. Flying Log Book, covering the period July 1938 to March 1941; his R.A.F. Flying Log Book, covering the period August 1946 to May 1954; and three official Air Ministry photographs, two of them depicting low-level attacks on U-Boats, and most probably pertinent to the recipient’s earlier anti-submarine patrols in No. 44 Squadron.