Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War Spitfire pilot’s D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant R. D. Armstrong, Royal Air Force, who completed 60 sorties over North-West Europe in a Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (P.R.U.) of 2nd Tactical Air Force - his Mark IX aircraft, armed but otherwise stripped down for maximum speed, was painted pale pink, and carried the invasion stripes under the rear fuselage

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, these four in their addressed card forwarding box, with related Air Council document, together with embroidered R.A.F. “Wings” and officer’s cap badge, generally good very fine (7) £2400-2800

D.F.C. London Gazette 13 February 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Armstrong has completed a most satisfactory tour, both on photographic and fighter reconnaissance. He has carried out low-level sorties over such heavily defended targets as Le Havre, Cherbourg and the river Somme between Abbeville and Amiens. He has consistently refused to be deterred by either enemy opposition or most difficult weather, and has always brought back good photographic cover of his targets.’

Rae Daley Armstrong, a native of Radlett, Hertfordshire, enlisted in the Royal Air Force in August 1940 and commenced pilot training at No. 31 Elementary Flying Training School in Moncton, New Brunswick in January 1942. Awarded his “Wings” in January 1943, he remained in Canada until December of the same year, when he was posted to R.A.F. Harrogate to study photo-reconnaissance, and thence to an Operational Training Unit, flying Mustangs. Brief appointments in 169 and 231 Squadrons having followed, in which latter unit he passed his Photo-Reconnaissance Unit (P.R.U.) test in December 1943 and flew a brace of missions to Caen in January 1944, Armstrong was transferred to No. 16 Squadron at Hartford Bridge, a P.R.U. operating in Spitfires out of Hartford Bridge.

Here, then, the commencement of his operational career proper, his squadron being charged with gathering photographs of enemy held territory in readiness for the forthcoming Allied landings - the whole in armed but otherwise stripped-down Spitfire IXs, speed being the only means of defence on encountering the enemy should the aircraft’s pale pink camouflage fail. Armstrong flew his first such missions for No. 16 in late March, visiting Trouville, Antwerp and Le Havre in quick succession.

Moving to Northolt in April 1944, the Squadron continued its reconnaissance work apace, Armstrong making trips to Amiens, Arras, Rouen-Paris and Flushing in the same month, while in May he flew a further eight sorties to France, the river Orne among his chosen “targets”, not without interest given the imminent Airborne landings; Chartres and Paris were also on his agenda, although his camera appears to have packed up on the latter trip. And with the advent of the Normandy landings in June, he was called upon to carry out nine sorties, including a trip to Caen on D-Day itself.

A further five sorties of a similar nature having been flown in July, Armstrong notched up no less than 17 operational outings in August, increased activity on the back of the Squadron’s move to an advanced airfield in France in the same month - as part of 34 (Strategical Reconnaissance) Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force. Belgian, Dutch and German “targets” now started to appear on No. 16’s operational agenda, Armstrong rounding off his tour of 60 sorties with five trips in September, four in October and two in November, Antwerp and Hamburg being among his most favoured hunting grounds.

Recommended for the D.F.C., he was appointed an instructor in an Operational Training Unit at Rednal, but briefly rejoined No. 16 at Eindhoven in August 1945, prior to being demobilised.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Flying Log Book, entries covering the period January 1942 to September 1945, the official covers replaced with high-quality blue leather binding by Hatchards of Piccadilly, with impressed gilt initials ‘R. D. A.’ to lower right of front cover, and gilt page ends, and with pasted down Air Ministry forwarding letter for same, dated 16 June 1946; together with an official wartime Straits of Dover / Normandy map, and two photographs.