British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Sergeant R. S. G. Kelly, Royal Air Force, who completed a busy operational tour as an Air Gunner in Halifaxes of No. 102 Squadron in 1943-44

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45, with their original addressed Air Ministry card forwarding box, mounted as worn, good very fine (3) £350-400

Kelly commenced training as an Air Gunner in April 1943 and was posted to No. 102 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Pocklington, in September of the same year, in which month he flew sorties to Hanover and Bochum. In October he was detailed to attack Frankfurt, his Flying Log Book noting the occurrence of a fire in his aircraft’s starboard engine, while in November, in a strike against Dusseldorf, the same record states his Halifax returned on two engines following a combat. His last sortie of the year was against Berlin, flown on 29 December, in which he would appear to have engaged a 109 in another combat.

Early 1944 witnessed the Squadron carrying out several “gardening” sorties, in addition to another strike against the “Big City” on 29 January, and a trip to Paris in late February, following which 102’s targets focused on further French targets in the lead up to the Normandy landings, among them marshalling yards at Le Mans and Amiens, Kelly noting for the record two further combats with 109s. On D-Day itself, the Squadron attacked enemy coastal batteries at Maisy, before being detailed to attack a target in St. Lo and carry out three successive “gardening” trips to Brest. Thus ended Kelly’s operational tour, his Flying Log Book stating ‘Recommended for a gong 15.6.44’. He was transferred to an O.T.U. and ended the War in a conversion unit at North Luffenham.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period April 1943 to July 1945, together with a wartime photograph of his crew.