Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War pilot’s D.F.C. group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant A. R. Taylor, Royal Air Force, who completed a tour of operations in Lancasters of No. 622 Squadron in 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (Flt. Lt. A. R. Taylor, R.A.F.), together with a set of related miniature dress medals, generally good very fine (12) £1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Coldstream Guards, R.F.C., R.N.A.S. and R.A.F. formed by the late Tom Baugh.

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D.F.C. London Gazette 13 October 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Taylor is nearing completion of his first tour of operations, throughout which he has led his crew as Captain of Aircraft with the utmost courage and determination.

This officer joined the Squadron in February 1944 at the height of Bomber Command’s offensive and was immediately engaged in attacks on well defended targets including Stuttgart, Cologne, and the Rhur and by inspired leadership pressed home his attacks with complete success, although very frequently in the face of severe enemy opposition.

Flight Lieutenant Taylor’s sustained operational endurance and courageous enterprise, together with his outstanding devotion to duty, is worthy of recognition. I strongly recommend an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Alec Richard Taylor commenced pilot training at R.A.F. Booker in April 1942, but completed his advanced course in the U.S.A., returning to the U.K. in the summer of 1943. Having then attended No. 17 O.T.U., and been commissioned as a Pilot Officer in January 1944, he was posted to No. 622 Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Mildenhall, Suffolk, and completed his first sortie on the night of the 25-26 February, against Schweinfurt. And German targets remained high on the Squadron’s operational agenda throughout March and April, Taylor and his crew attacking Aachen, Cologne, Essen, Frankfurt, Friedrichafen, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart (twice), in addition to a strike against the railway yards at Laon, the beginning of a concerted effort against communications and defences in France as the Normandy landings approached.

Thus in May, Taylor and his crew attacked Angers (’First daylight’), Boulogne, Cap Grisnez (’Four sticks of bombs fell together and one hit the first of three gun emplacements which blew up’), Chambly, Louvain, Nantes, and Trappes, in addition to more regular attack on Aachen, while in June, on the night of 5th-6th, they were assigned to attack enemy guns batteries at Ouistreham, and on D-Day itself to Lisieux, followed by further sorties to Biennais, Brest, Domleger, Hontdidier, L’Hey and Valenciennes. Targets in Beauvoir, Nucourt, Mont Canden and Prouville having then been attacked in July, Taylor was advanced to the rank of Acting Flight Lieutenant, awarded the D.F.C. and posted to No. 84 O.T.U.

Post-war, he served in Transport Command, flying Avro Yorks of 246 and 511 Squadrons in the Middle East 1945-46, and Lancastrians of 24 Squadron 1946-49, while in the 1950s he qualified in paratroop, supply and heavy equipment dropping in Handley Page Hastings aircraft of No. 53 Squadron, work which culminated in his appointment to No. 48 Squadron at Changi during the Malayan Emergency, where, in 1957-58, he accumulated over 400 hours flying time. But as verified by an endorsement in his Flying Log Book, dated 28 November 1958, the long hours in the air were taking their toll: ‘Flight Lieutenant Taylor’s flying ability has deteriorated and he has reached the stage in a long and successful flying career where he should be given adequate rest from active flying duties.’

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods April 1942 to November 1952, and December 1952 to June 1959.