Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An unusual Second World War A.F.C. group of six awarded to Wing Commander F. W. Dewell, Royal Air Force, a long-served “V.I.P. Flight” pilot who passengers included Churchill and Mountbatten

Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (562062 Sgt. F. W. Dewell, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr. F. W. Dewell, R.A.F.), together with a set of related dress miniature medals, mounted as worn, generally good very fine (12) £1800-2200

A.F.C. London Gazette 14 June 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Dewell has completed 600 hours flying as a Captain of Aircraft with this Squadron. Most of this has entailed the carrying of very important passengers to far distant theatres of war, including special flights to Moscow in connection with the Prime Minister’s visit. During the past few months he has operated routine transport flights in all types of weather by day and night, enabling the Squadron to ensure a regular schedule routine. Flight Lieutenant Dewell has long experience of the Service, dating from 1928 when he entered as an Aircraft Apprentice. This, coupled with his undoubted ability, enabled him to set a fine example of leadership to all members of the Squadron.’

Frank William Dewell, who was born in January 1912, enlisted in the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Apprentice in 1928, and was selected for pilot training in 1935. Duly qualifying for his “Wings” with an exceptional rating in April 1936, he was posted to No. 216 Squadron, known as the “Bomber-Transport Squadron”, then flying Victoria and Vickers Valentia aircraft. Thus ensued plenty of passenger carrying flights, taking him to Cyprus, East Africa, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Sinai, the Sudan and Trans-Jordan.

Commissioned in April 1940, Dewell joined No. 511 Squadron in April 1944, and is believed to have flown the Prime Minister in the unit’s Yorks to assorted conferences on several occasions, including the Yalta Conference in February 1945. Absolutely certain is the fact he flew the Mountbattens out to India in March 1947, in addition to Sir William Strang to Moscow in the same month, having by then transferred to No. 24 Squadron. Advanced to Wing Commander in July 1958, Dewell was finally placed on the Retired List in January 1965

Sold with one or two original but fire damaged pages from his flying log book, together with a letter-head from The Viceroy’s House, New Delhi, with opening lines from Mountbatten regarding his flight to India from Northolt in March 1947, and a file of research, including O.R.B. entries and copied photographs.