Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War Air Gunner’s campaign group of five awarded to Squadron Leader P. J. R. Lee, Royal Air Force, who, having completed a tour of operations in the Middle East in 1942-43, served in No. 297 Squadron 1944-45, the latter period witnessing his part in glider towing operations in support of D-Day, Arnhem and “Varsity”, in addition to ‘special duties’ sorties for S.O.E. - he was mentioned in despatches

1939-45 Star, the reverse privately inscribed, ‘791177 F/Lt. P. J. R. Lee, R.A.F.’; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, good very fine (5) £350-400

Born in April 1913, Lee commenced his wartime career at Moffat, Southern Rhodesia, in December 1941, where he attended an Air Gunnery Course. Having then qualified for his Air Gunner’s Brevet, he was posted to No. 55 Squadron, a Baltimore unit, in the Western Desert and, teaming up with Squadron Leader Mills’ crew, flew his first operational sortie on 14 August 1942, a strike against rolling stock at Fuka Station - his flying log book noting that his Baltimore returned to base with 20 holes caused by flak.

Lee, who by now had been commissioned as a Pilot Officer, flew several more sorties with No. 55 in September and, after brief attachment to No. 52 Squadron, was posted to No. 244 Squadron in Iraq at the year’s end. Thus ensued a spate of anti-submarine and convoy escort patrols in the unit’s Vincents over the Gulf of Oman, one such operation on 29 January 1943 ending in a forced landing in the desert - Lee’s flying log book noting they were not picked up for 48 hours and that he opened fire with 300 rounds at some unfriendly looking tribesmen. Tour ‘expired’ by the end of May, he returned to the U.K. and was appointed an instructor, but in April 1944, he commenced a second operational tour with No. 297 Squadron at Brize Norton, an Albermarle unit employed in glider towing duties.

D-Day, Arnhem and the Rhine

On the night of 5-6 June 1944, with Squadron Leader Trim at the helm, Lee’s Albermarle towed a Horsa Glider with troops from 9 Parachute Regiment, who were charged with the destruction of the Merville Battery, and more particularly the section under Captain John Smellie. In One Night in June, Kevin Shannon and Stephen Wright quote Sergeant Johnny Bowen, who was the pilot of the glider towed by Lee’s Albermarle:

‘We were first away at 0119 hours and I remember that a red flare was fired as we took off. Much later, I learned that this was a signal that half our undercarriage had fallen off. We flew north to begin with, to Southam, and at first there was no-one with us, but then other gliders and tugs arrived and we got into formation, line astern. Crossing the Channel, I saw one German Me. 109 fighter and below us, American gliders heading west. These latter were all showing full lights!

Near Le Havre we met anti-aircraft fire and suddenly emerging from cloud we found that we were near the Landing Zone. Squadron Leader Reggie Trim, our tug pilot, yelled “Pull off Johnny, we're there.” I released the tow-rope and descended at about 115mph. Another glider passed me and, as I flew over the triangle of lights and positioned myself in the lane between the obstructing poles, I saw that the other glider had hit a pole and was blocking my path. I eased back the wheel, but still hit his fuselage as I flew over. This changed my path and one of the poles smashed into the port side of my cockpit, leaving John Smellie with nothing in front of him. As I eased back to land, having lost the other half of my undercarriage, the nose wheel hit a ditch and came up inside the glider. Then we were safely down with no injuries and load intact-the time 0324 hours.’

The Normandy landings completed, No. 297 Squadron next undertook a brace of ‘special duties’ operations, dropping supplies to the Resistance, the first of them on the night of 4-5 July, when Lee’s aircraft was attacked by an enemy fighter - and shot down by a fellow gunner. The Squadron having then moved to Earls Colne in Essex, and been re-equipped with Halifaxes, Lee participated in another special operation to France on the night of 10-11 August, on which occasion he damaged a Ju. 88 - the relevant combat report stating that he managed to get in several bursts of fire.

Next up was “Operation Market Garden”, Lee completing a brace of Horsa glider towing operations to Arnhem on 17-18 September, with Pilot Officer Rickard, D.F.C. at the helm, followed by a regular bombing sortie to the Ruhr in late January 1945, and another ‘special duties’ mission to Norway in late February. Then on 24 March he participated in “Operation Varsity”, the airborne invasion of Germany, on this occasion with Wing Commander Dean, D.F.C. at the helm. And his final wartime sortie was another special mission to Norway on 19 April. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 14 June 1945 refers).

Lee remained in the R.A.F. after the War, was advanced to Squadron Leader in August 1947, and was placed on the Retired List in April 1961.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, with entries covering the period December 1941 until August 1960, together with a few civil entries 1961-67.