Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Second War Radar Operator/Navigator’s O.B.E., D.F.C. group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Dear, Nos. 125 and 141 Squadrons, Royal Air Force, who had three confirmed victories in Beaufighters and Mosquitos

The Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) 2nd type; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1944; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France & Germany; Defence & War Medals, together with two Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Books for the period October 1941 to September 1960, and an original Combat Report for the destruction of a Ju-88, good very fine (6) £1200-1500

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1959.

D.F.C. London Gazette 14 November 1944.

The following information was extracted from the original recommendation: ‘Flight Lieutenant K. Dear joined this Squadron on 11.12.44 and has flown as Navigator / Radio with S/Ldr. J. S. Booth, D.F.C., on 23 operational sorties since that date. Prior to joining No. 239 (B.S.) Squadron, F/Lt. Dear has completed a tour with No. 125 Squadron and commenced a 2nd tour with 141 Squadron. His record on arrival here comprised 1 Ju.88 destroyed, 1 Ju.88 damaged and 1 Me.110 damaged. His two victories with S/Ldr. Booth on 7.7.44 when two Me.110’s were destroyed near Meaux and Compiegne bringing his total to 3 enemy aircraft destroyed and two damaged.’

Squadron Leader Kenneth Dear was born in 1909 at Teddington, Middlesex, and was educated at Kingston Grammar School. He commenced aircrew training in October 1941 and joined No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron in February 1942, flying as a Beaufighter Radio Observer. Commissioned into the R.A.F.V.R. on 1 July 1942, he was credited with damaging a Ju.88 20 miles west of Swansea on 20 September, and shortly after 0830 hours on 10 November 1942 shot down a Ju.88 in to the North Sea 118 miles east of Montrose with his pilot F/Lt. J.R.A. Bailey, but not without the following battle damage to their own aircraft: ‘Hole in each wing inboard of engine - both spars damaged. Two bullets in port engine. Hole in starboard side of tail plane - spar damaged. Two holes in starboard perspex, and one through hydraulic tank and instrument panel. Three holes also in nose ...’ Spitfires of 164 Squadron’s Blue Section escorted the crippled Beaufighter safely home to Peterhead.

Completing his first tour in March 1943, he was rested with attachments to the 415th Squadron, U.S.A.A.C., at Cranfield, and No. 488 (New Zealand) Squadron at Ayr. In October 1943 he joined 141 Squadron at Wittering, and on 16 December 1943, with Squadron Leader Lambert piloting Mosquito 659, damaged an Me.110 in the Berlin area whilst on bomber escort duty. In February 1944 he was posted Navigator to 239 Squadron - a Serrate and Perfecto unit of 100 ‘Confound and Destroy’ Group, which waged war by scientific as well as conventional means. On 10 April 1944 Squadron Leader Booth ordered him to bale out at 6,000 feet over Walsingham when their Mosquito’s starboard engine caught fire. Both pilot and navigator landed safely to continue their ‘extra-routine’ activities with 239. On the night of 7 July 1944, during a sixty minute patrol of the Paris area in support of raids on Vaires and St Leu, Dear and Booth pulled off their celebrated double Me.110 kill, and on 1 September added to their tally by inflicting ‘Cat. B’ damage on trains north of Meppel and south of Leeuwarden. Squadron Leader Dear remained in the R.A.F. until retirement in 1959.