Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Sergeant E. Roxby, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed on active service with No. 578 Squadron in July 1944

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, extremely fine (3) £150-200

Edward Roxby commenced training as a Flight Engineer in April 1944 and, having qualified in early June, was posted to No. 578 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Burn, Yorkshire. Joining Sergeant W. Davidson’s crew, he completed his first sortie on the 17th, against railway communications at St. Martin L’Hautier, another five French targets being attacked before the month’s end, three of them by day and most of them of the enemy rocket site variety. But in July, having completed another seven operations of a similar nature - six of them by day - he was killed on returning from a raid against Bottrop, when his Halifax collided with another squadron aircraft over Burn: all 14 aircrew concerned were killed, wreckage from their aircraft coming down at Balkholme, Yorkshire. Roxby, who was 22 years of age, and the son of William and Catherine Roxby, is buried in his hometown, Easington Colliery.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Flying Log Book (for Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s - Form 1767), covering the period April 1944 to July 1944, and bearing official ‘Killed in Action’ and ‘R.A.F. Central Depository’ stamps.