Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

An impressive Second World War Rear-Gunner’s immediate D.F.C., D.F.M. group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant E. Wharton, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who survived two operational tours totalling 76 sorties, latterly as a member of the Path Finder Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse dated 1944; Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (972742 Sgt. E. Wharton, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, nearly extremely fine (6) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Men of Bomber Command 1939-45.

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D.F.C. London Gazette 1 August 1944. The immediate award recommendation states:

‘On the night of 23 June 1944, this Officer was a Rear-Gunner in a Lancaster aircraft detailed as Deputy Master Bomber on L’Hey. On the return flight Flight Lieutenant Wharton saw a twin-engined enemy fighter to port quarter astern manoeuvring to attack his aircraft. By cool calculation he instructed the Mid-Upper Gunner that he would hold himself responsible for this aircraft and instructed him to continue to search to starboard. Flight Lieutenant Wharton’s subsequent directions to the Captain were instrumental in him giving the fighter two bursts before it could open up on the bomber. The enemy fighter caught fire, dived and was seen to explode on the ground. In the meantime, the Mid-Upper Gunner sighted another enemy fighter on the starboard quarter and although the inter-com was defective, and the fighter attacked the bomber, Flight Lieutenant Wharton’s bursts were seen to strike the enemy aircraft, which banked steeply away. This Officer has completed 56 operational flights, including 18 with the Path Finder Force, 14 of which have been as a Marker. He has always set an admirable example of coolness and courage in the face of the enemy of which this action is a typical example.’

D.F.M. London Gazette 12 March 1943. The recommendation states:

‘This N.C.O. has completed 36 operational sorties against the enemy. His targets have included many of the cities of Western Germany, Gydnia and Genoa. He also participated in the daylight attacks on Danzig and Le Creusot. Throughout his operational tour his example has been of a high standard.’

Flight Lieutenant Ernest Wharton, D.F.C., D.F.M., entered the R.A.F.V.R. in November 1939 and commenced his training as a Rear-Gunner in July 1941. Posted to No. 97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron in late 1941, he started off his operational career with an outing to Emden in a Manchester bomber on the night of 15-16 November 1941. Subsequently converting to Lancasters, Wharton went on to complete an eventful tour of 36 sorties and some 200 hours operational flying, daylight outings to Danzig, Le Creusot and Milan no doubt being among the highlights - on the latter occasion his aircraft returned on three engines and two enemy trains were shot up in lieu of the bombing run having to be aborted. He also found himself on the sharp end of enemy fire on at least two occasions, namely on the night of 16-17 March 1942, when his Lancaster was engaged by a ship while returning from a “Gardening” operation, and again on the night of 29-30 May 1942, in a raid on Gennevilliers, when his 2nd Pilot was killed by flak, an incident described in No. 97’s Operational Record Book:

‘Impossible to identify target owing to searchlights and heavy concentration of flak. Made four attempts to identify target and then outboard starboard engine was hit and failed. Sergeant Bond (2nd Pilot) was hit in the thigh and died on the return journey. Bombs were dropped safe owing to aircraft rapidly loosing height.’

Squadron targets thereafter tended to be of a German nature, Bremen, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt and Hamburg being among the more heavily defended cities visited by Wharton and his crew, the 1000 Bomber Raids on Essen and Bremen in June 1942 included. On the night of 29-30 July 1942, in a raid on Saarbrucken, their Lancaster’s trailing aerial was shot away by flak and the aircraft then pursued by an enemy fighter. Luckily skilful piloting with a rapid dive from 12,000 to 7,000 feet shook it off. Then in an outing to Essen on the night of 16-17 September, Wharton’s Flying Log Book entry indicates another encounter with an enemy fighter, the mission having to be abandoned. His final sortie with No. 97 was flown to Genoa on the night of 15-16 November. Awarded the D.F.M. and commissioned as a Pilot Officer, Wharton was rested with an appointment at a Gunnery School.

In early 1944, he returned to the operational scene with an appointment to No. 7 Squadron at Oakington, which unit was operating as part of the Path Finder Force. His subsequent tour of 39 sorties was no less eventful than his time with No. 97, the above recommendation for an immediate D.F.C. describing an action with enemy fighters on a raid to the V.1 site at L’Hey in the Pas de Calais on the night of 23-24 June 1944, when his pilot was acting as Master Bomber. The following extract has been taken from Wharton’s vivid account of this incident, a typed statement of which is included with the Lot:

‘We had hardly regained our breath, however, when we were hit; the tailplane received a large hole on the starboard side and the line of fire continued up, along side the fuselage, then tearing an even larger hole in the mainplane. In fact, it shot away a petrol tank situated in the wing, clear out, leaving a gaping hole. As the enemy aircraft broke away to re-position itself for another attack, I recognised it as another M.E. 210, and it was equipped with the fixed-angled firing cannon, placed on top of the fuselage to enable it to position itself well down under its target ... I lost no time opening fire on the attacker at the first sighting. I was lucky, for I definitely scored hits. The tracer bullets that I used were obviously hitting him, for they were no ricochets and my bullets were not going past him; soon I had verification, for he too suddenly dived and through the clouds we observed a brilliant and widespread flash of light from the ground.’

Such was the damage inflicted on Wharton’s Lancaster that it had to be written off. Another fact revealed by his account is a claim to two damaged enemy aircraft in addition to the one confirmed destroyed.

As it transpired, much of Wharton’s second tour was based around strikes on mainland France in support of the Normandy Landings, both before and after D-Day - on the evening of 5 June 1944 his Lancaster was detailed to attack the gun battery at Longues. On many occasions, too, he flew in daylight raids, his pilot, Squadron Leader Frow, often acting as Deputy Master Bomber or Master Bomber, their targets including railway yards, V.1 sites, airfields and other installations. Wharton’s Flying Log Book also reveals one more encounter with enemy aircraft on the night of 19-20 July 1944, in an outing to Homberg, and notes ‘1 destroyed. 1 probable’, and on 6 August he participated in a ‘Special’ operation in Lancaster C. 148, piloted by a Flying Officer McCarthy. One of Wharton’s final sorties was a strike on the U-Boat pens at La Pallice on the night of 10-11 August, when Squadron Leader Frow once more acted as Master Bomber. His second tour finally ended with a daylight outing to Soesteburg airfield in the middle of the month.

The gallant Wharton was demobilised as a Flight Lieutenant in June 1946, having carried out very little additional flying duties.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Book, covering the period July 1941 to December 1944; Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for his D.F.C.; several wartime photographs, one with crew autographs; his Path Finder’s Force Badge, with original forwarding letter from Air Vice-Marshal Bennett; and his wartime A.G’s Brevet.