Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to include a Fine Collection of Napoleonic Medals

A particularly fine and well-documented Second World War pilot’s American D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Squadron Leader J. R. Fisher, Royal Air Force, whose remarkable operational career included numerous S.O.E. sorties to Occupied Europe and glider-towing operations to Normandy on D-Day, Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing: on one occasion shot-up by a night fighter and on others hit by flak, he was also mentioned in despatches: post-war, he added another “mention” to his accolades for the Palestine operations

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, these privately engraved, ‘Sqn. Ldr. J. R. Fisher, R.A.F., 31316’; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Arabian Peninsula (Sqn. Ldr. J. R. Fisher, R.A.F.); Coronation 1953; United States of America, Distinguished Flying Cross, these last two also privately engraved, ‘Sqn. Ldr. J. R. Fisher, R.A.F., 31316’, this with its case of issue, mounted as worn, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, Arnhem and Normandy anniversary commemorative medals, and his identity discs with ‘St. Christopher’ lucky charm, good very fine (Lot) £2500-3000

D.F.C. (U.S.A.) H.Q. United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe General Order No. 92 14 November 1944:

‘For extraordinary achievement while participating in special operations in the Paris area. On one occasion when his airplane was attacked by enemy fighters over the Channel, and his gasoline tank punctured, he evaded the enemy and despite the damage of his airplane successfully completed the mission. His courage and skill reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.’

John Raymond Fisher was born in Kensington, London in 1916 and was educated at Dulwich College. A keen member of the O.T.C., he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Corps on the Supplementary Reserve of Officers in November 1937, but transferred to the Royal Air Force in the acting rank of Pilot Officer in April 1939.

Owing to his eye-sight, however, his initial application for pilot training was turned down, and he was serving as an Equipment Officer at Hartlebury on the outbreak of hostilities. Having then been similarly employed at Waddington and Kettering, he made a second - successful - application for pilot training and was embarked for Canada in early 1942. On qualifying for his “Wings” in March 1943, he returned to the U.K. and, having attended further courses, was posted to No. 298 Squadron in February 1944.

S.O.E. supply and agent dropping operations

Less than a month later, however, he transferred to No. 644 Squadron, another Halifax unit operating out of Tarrant Rushton on glider towing duties in preparation for the Normandy landings.

In common with 38 and 161 Squadrons, however, 644 was also employed on extensive S.O.E. supply and agent dropping operations, Fisher carrying out around 20 such sorties in the period leading up to December 1944, mainly to circuits in France, but also to Holland and Scandinavia. Thus a spate of well-known S.O.E. code names in his flying log book:

“Harry 24” (7 April); “Scientist 52” (28 April - attacked by fighter and damaged, as per American D.F.C. citation); “Fireman 8” (3 May); “Gain 13A” (4 July); “Digger 57” (15 July); “Digger 57/59” (20 July); “Wheelwright 75” (23 July); “Footman 27” (27 July); “Messenger 16” (2 August); “Salesman 7” (7 August); “Donald 15” (23 August); “Mitchell 4” (25 August); “Mitchell 3” (27 August); “Bob 317” (5 September); “Bob 291” (10 September - unsuccessful - no reception in the D.Z. area); “Houndsworth” (21 September - Group Captain Cooper, D.F.C., acting as 1st Pilot); “Co-os 1” (29 September - unsuccessful - no reception in D.Z. area - flying bomb passed us); “Nicole” (14 October - unsuccessful - Holland); “Tail” (23 December - shot at from Denmark).

D-Day and Arnhem - Ernest Hemingway a passenger

Moreover, the same period witnessed 644 Squadron undertaking glider-towing operations in support of the D-Day landings and Arnhem.

In “Operation Tonga” on the night of 5-6 June, Fisher towed a Hamilcar to the River Orne area - ‘medium quantities of light flak. No damage’. The glider’s pilot, Staff Sergeant England, who was severely wounded and awarded the D.F.M., afterwards wrote to Fisher to thank him for his superb skill in taking them through ‘bastard cloud’. On D-Day itself, as part of “Operation Mallard”, he towed another Hamilcar, piloted by Staff Sergeant Hill, back to the River Orne area - ‘Marvellous trip. No damage’.

Ten days later, during a Hamilcar-lift practice flight, Fisher’s passengers included Ernest Hemingway, then employed as a U.S. War Correspondent.

In September, Fisher completed two trips to Arnhem, the first with a Hamilcar in tow on the 17th, and with ‘Mr. Thornton of the B.B.C.’ as a passenger - ‘Successful trip. Nearly hit Horsa over L.Z.’; however, on returning to Arnhem with a Horsa on the 18th, he encountered flak, the first barrage cutting the tow to the Horsa five miles south of the intended L.Z. - ‘Glider appeared O.K. No damage.’

“Varsity” and further special operations

In the closing stages of the war, Fisher was attached to No. 190 Squadron at Great Dunmow, a Stirling glider-towing unit, in which capacity he participated in “Operation Varsity” on 24 March 1945, his flying log book noting, ‘Horsa 6th Airborne Division dropped over Rhine, Germany. Good successful trip. One hit from flak.’ The Horsa’s 1st Pilot was Staff Sergeant K. Whitaker, who later wrote to Fisher and his crew to thank them ‘for a really first class trip over the whole of the route … Apart from the landing, which was pretty difficult owing to the smoke and lots of flak, we had quite a reasonable time after we cast off.’

Having then flown an S.O.E. trip to Norway - “Flank 2” north of Oslo on the 30th - Fisher was allocated to “Keystone” and “Wimper” over Holland on 12 April, carrying 20 containers and 9 paratroops - as it transpired an unsuccessful trip. However, on 25 April, in his final wartime sortie code-named “Violet”, he successfully dropped Major Pat Worrall of the South Wales Borderers and five other parachutists near Stalag 2A at Altengrabow - their mission being to negotiate the safe release of the P.O.Ws incarcerated therein. As Worrall later recalled:

‘I parachuted down with a radio almost outside the camp gate. I had a letter from Eisenhower, which I presented to the commandant, Colonel Theodre Ochenal. His first remark was: “You British are crazy. Fancy coming here by parachute, risking being shot as a spy, just to save these prisoners a few days hardship.” He then took me down to the village pub and we worked out details. I contacted the Ninth Army with my radio.’

Fisher was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1946, refers).

Palestine “mention” and the post-war era

Fisher, who rejoined 620 Squadron in July 1945, went on to witness active service in Palestine, the unit’s Halifaxes operating out of Aquir in the summer of 1946. He later served in No. 113 Squadron, another Halifax unit based at Aquir, his flying log book revealing several parachute drops. He was mentioned in despatches ‘For distinguished services in Palestine’ (London Gazette 29 June 1948, refers).

In early 1947, he was grounded for employment as an Administrative Officer, but he witnessed further active service in the Arabian Peninsula in the late 1950s. He was placed on the Retired List as a Squadron Leader in September 1966.

The Squadron Leader died at Thirsk in May 2012, aged 95 years.


to be sold with an extensive archive and related memorabilia, including:

(i) The recipient’s Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Book, with entries covering the period September 1942 to December 1947, and opening endorsement: ‘Previous flying - no log book provided’ but with pasted-down slip listing 20 or so training flights at the Grading School, Cambridge in May-June 1942.

(ii) The recipient’s M.I.D. certificates, dated 1 January 1946 and 29 June 1948, both in the rank of Acting Squadron Leader; together with a wartime copy of the official U.S. order announcing the award of his D.F.C., dated 14 November 1944, and Coronation Medal 1953 certificate.

(iii) The recipient’s commission warrant for the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Corps (Supplementary Reserve of Officer), dated 9 November 1937.

(iv) The recipient’s commission warrant for the rank of Acting Pilot Officer, dated April 1939.

(v) A photograph album covering the recipient’s pilot training in Canada (approximately 200 images), together with postcards and related memorabilia.

(vi) A fine array of career photographs (approximately 100), including extensive coverage of World War Two and Palestine 1946-47 subject matter, several large format images card-mounted and a few others framed and glazed; together with two school groups from Dulwich College, framed and glazed.

(vii) A torn-off half of a wartime 10 shilling banknote, as given to Fisher by his Bomb Aimer, F./O. J. J. MacDowell, on closing down a shared ‘kitty’ behind the bar of the George Hotel in Beckenham, Kent, following a period of leave in 1944.

(viii) A wartime watercolour of the recipient, drawn by his Navigator at Tarrant Rushton.

(ix) A limited edition print (12/50), by John Ray Scott, depicting a Halifax of 161 Squadron over Occupied France on the night of 22-23 August 1943, signed by the artist, Wing Commander L. F. Ratcliffe, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., and S.O.E. agent “Annette”, namely Mrs. Y. Cormeau, M.B.E., framed and glazed.

(x) Letters of thanks from Staff Sergeant England, Glider Pilot Regiment, dated 26 June 1944, and Staff Sergeant Whitaker, Glider Pilot Regiment, dated 1 April 1945, in respect of Fisher’s glider-towing expertise in the “Tonga” and “Varsity” operations.

(xi) A pair of German-stamped P.O.W. postcards from an old friend from R.A.F. Waddington, Flight Lieutenant T. G. Hynes, D.F.C., who was shot down in 1940 while serving in No. 44 Squadron - ‘I’m here after a lovely parachute jump. Poor Dunkels wasn’t so lucky’ (dated December 1940 and May 1941); together with wartime photograph of Hynes.

(xii) Assorted career letters, including M.O.D. retirement letter, dated 30 September 1966; together with a Royal Air Force Transport Command ‘Crossing the Line of the Equator’ certificate, dated 26 February 1957, and Gliding Certificate (April, 1955) and British Gliding Association Pilot’s Log Book (January-May 1955).

(xiii) A quantity of old maps, passports and driving licences, extensive newspaper cuttings and magazine articles, etc.

(xiv) The recipient’s Irvin flying jacket, together with a flying helmet, the latter bearing ink name of ‘Lister’.

(xv) Wooden crests for 113, 190, 298, 620 and 644 Squadrons.