Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War pilot’s D.F.C. group of eight awarded to Squadron Leader V. J. J. Faurot, Royal Canadian Air Force, a veteran of two operational tours in Blenheims, Bostons and Mitchells of No. 226 Squadron - ‘his leadership is such that there is competition amongst crews for a position in his formation’ - this despite the fact his aircraft was holed by intense flak on more that one occasion

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal 1939-45, silver; Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver; International Commission for Supervision and Control Service Medal (S./L. V. J. Faurot); Canadian Force Decoration, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, with Bar (S./L. V. J. Faurot), mounted court-style as worn, together with his Operational Wings, with Bar, attached to a tie-clip, embroidered R.C.A.F. Pilot’s and Parachute Wings, metalled identity discs, and a Polish Flying Badge, gilt metal, unmarked, plated Canadian-style, otherwise very fine or better (Lot) £2200-2500

D.F.C. London Gazette 11 August 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘This officer has completed one tour of operations, including several low-level shipping attacks, and is now in the middle of his second tour. He has proved himself to be an exceptional leader during high level formation sorties, and has always pressed home his attacks with the greatest determination, thereby being a source of inspiration to the other members of his squadron.’

The covering remarks of the Station C.O. further state:

‘This young officer is doing extremely well in every respect. His first tour was completed during a period of heavy losses. After excellent work at O.T.U. during his rest, he is now an outstanding captain and leader in his squadron. His experience and example have been of inestimable value to the numerous fresh crews in the Squadron. His leadership is such that there is competition amongst crews for a position in his formation, which he leads remarkably well with the sole object of hitting the enemy as hard and as frequently as possible. His level-headed courage, his fine example and the service he has given and is giving, deserve recognition in the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Vincent Joseph James Faurot, who was born at Niagara Falls in 1917 and educated at Mt. Carmel College, Ottawa, enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1940. Selected for pilot training, he graduated in February 1941 and was embarked for England, where, having attended an O.T.U. and converted to Blenheims, he was posted to No. 226 Squadron.

Flying his first sortie - a “Circus” - in early August, he went on to complete five more missions by the end of October, including further “Circus” operations to Le Trait and Le Havre, in addition to shipping strikes. The Squadron then having moved to Northern Ireland, Faurot was attached to No. 21 Squadron at the year’s end, and made a return trip to Malta, via Gibraltar, before rejoining No. 226 at its new base at Swanton Morley, where it had re-equipped with Bostons.

On 12 February 1942, he carried out an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, while in March he returned to Le Havre to attack a 10,000-ton armed merchant cruiser, in addition to carrying out a brace of strikes on power stations at Lille and Ostend - departing the latter scene with flak damage. A “Circus” to Flushing having followed in April, Faurot flew a similar operations to Boulogne in May and June, as well as a return trip to the power station at Ostend and, on 20 July, a low-level strike on the Kuhlmann Chemical Plant force leader.

Tour-expired, he was rested with an appointment in a calibration flight of 74 Wing, in which period he notched up many hours in Hurricanes, but in the summer of 1943 he returned to an operational footing in No. 226 Squadron, which unit had now converted to Mitchells. Thus, following aborted trips to Dunkirk and Flushing in August, a strike on the synthetic petrol plant at Lens on 19 September 1943 - ‘heavy flak south of Boulogne. One engine landing at Wingnorth, Kent.’ A number of A.S.R. missions having been undertaken in the interim, Faurot was next detailed to attack Schipol airfield in Holland - ‘Flak intense-accurate. One a/c lost - F./O. Witt’, while on 8 November, in an attack on the railway works at Mimoyecoues, further heavy flak was encountered and another crew lost. By now Faurot was regularly leading six-formation flights, and before the month’s end he carried out four strikes in the Cape Gris Nez area, in addition to a trip to Cherbourg. Recommended for the D.F.C. in early December, the relevant paperwork was not signed-off by Leigh-Mallory until May 1944.

Meanwhile, Fouret had flown another 15 operational sorties in the period leading up to March 1944, following which he returned to Canada to become an instructor at Boundary Bay. And those sorties included strikes against V.1 sites in the vicinity of Rouen, Abbeville, Boulogne, St. Omer, Dieppe and Calais (on three occasions), in addition to a similar target near Fruges on 9 February 1944 - ‘Heavy, accurate and intense flak, five a/c holed.’ Moreover, he had latterly led formations of 12 and 24 aircraft.

Fouret remained in the R.C.A.F. until the mid-1960s, when he retired as a Squadron Leader.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.C.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods October 1940 to August 1944, and January 1946 to January 1961, with opening endorsement, ‘Estimated time flying to this date 1250 hours - 2nd log book lost in fire at Boundary bay, B.C.’; a good selection of career photographs, including wartime interest (approximately 30 images), and a quantity of further documentation, including R.C.N. Diving and Explosive Disposal School Certificate, dated 31 May 1959, and Crossing of the Arctic Circle Flight Certificate, dated 26 October 1963.