Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War D.F.M. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant C. F. Baldwin, Royal Air Force, who completed a tour of operations as an Air Bomber in Halifaxes of No. 640 and No. 462 Squadrons, his immediate award being granted in respect of great gallantry in a daylight raid to Sterkrade in October 1944: such was the flak damage sustained by his aircraft that both Air Gunners baled out but Baldwin, ignoring his own injuries, attended to the seriously wounded Navigator and assisted in bringing the crippled bomber home

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1452215 F./Sgt. C. F. Baldwin, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Malaya, Brunei, E.II.R. (Fg. Off., R.A.F.); General Service 1962, 2 clasps, Borneo, Malay Peninsula (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.), minor contact wear, generally good very fine (7) £1800-2200

D.F.M. London Gazette 12 December 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘On 6 October 1944, the crew with whom Flight Sergeant Baldwin flew as Air Bomber was ordered to attack the synthetic oil plant at Sterkrade in daylight. On the approach to the target, the aircraft was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire and fire broke out in the fuselage behind the main bulkhead. The Captain ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft and the two gunners did so, but almost immediately the aircraft was hit again and Flight Sergeant Baldwin and the Navigator were wounded, the latter seriously. At the time, Flight Sergeant Baldwin concealed from his captain that he had been hit but, because of the condition of the Navigator, the Captain decided to attempt to fly home. While the Flight Engineer tackled the fire, Flight Sergeant Baldwin, ignoring his own injuries, helped the Wireless Operator to bind up the wounds of the Navigator who was bleeding profusely and also took over the duties of Navigator which he performed extremely proficiently. Not until he was satisfied that he had done everything for the comfort of the Navigator and the safety of those remaining in the aircraft, and that his navigational duties were satisfactorily accomplished, did Flight Sergeant Baldwin consent to have his own injuries attended. For the conspicuous courage and indifference to personal injury and fine spirit of comradeship shown on this occasion, the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal to Flight Sergeant Baldwin is strongly recommended.’

Cecil Frederick Baldwin, who was born in March 1924, commenced training as an Air Bomber in Saskatchewan, Canada in May 1942 and, having then attended No. 21 Operational Training Unit back in the U.K., was posted to No. 640 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Leconfield, Yorkshire. Completing his first sortie - a daylight attack against the flying-bomb site at Le Catelliers on 9 August 1944 (‘Damaged by flak’) - his flying log book describes a further six daylight and five night operations with No. 640, these latter targets including Russelsheim (‘Bags of fighter activity’) and Sterkrade (‘Heavy cones of searchlights ... Fired on unidentified enemy fighter’).

Transferring to No. 462 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron at Driffield, another Halifax unit, in September 1944, Baldwin went on to complete an operational tour of 33 sorties, daylight trips to Le Havre (thrice) and Gelsenkirchen (twice - ‘intense heavy flak’), and a night raid on Kiel taking place within the first two weeks of his arrival. But it was in October, on the 6th, that he won his immediate D.F.M., and as a result of his wounds he did not fly again until the end of the month, when detailed to attack Cologne. In January 1945, No. 462 Squadron transferred to 100 Group on “Special Duties” at Foulsham, Norfolk, and Baldwin rounded off his tour with a dozen or so counter-measures or “spoof” raids against German targets, including Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg and Munich, his final mission being flown on 9 April 1945.

Post-war, Baldwin was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in December 1952 and advanced to Flight Lieutenant in June 1956, finally retiring from the General Duties (Ground and Aircraft Control) Branch in January 1971.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Book, with entries covering the period May 1942 to March 1952, the wartime entries more detailed than usual, blue cloth on spine lacking, but contents good.