Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Warrant Officer R. Clayton, Nos. 48, 210 and 228 Squadrons, Royal Air Force, an Air Gunner on Catalina and Sunderland Flying Boats
1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal, together with twelve photographs and the recipient’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book for the period November 1938 to January 1944, extremely fine (3)

The recipient was serving with No. 48 (G.R.) Squadron from December 1939 and flew many sorties in Ansons on anti-submarine patrol and convoy escort duties. His log book records several encounters with enemy aircraft and on 20 December 1940, while on anti-submarine patrol to a convoy to Scapa Flow, an attack by enemy planes was driven off without loss. Four days later he bombed a U-boat. At the end of March 1941, he was posted to No. 210 Squadron at R.A.F. Oban, engaged in similar duties on Catalina Flying Boats. The Squadron played an important part in the search for the Bismarck in May 1941, Clayton flying on 2 recce sorties during the search. His log entry for the 25th May records a 20-hour flight in Catalina AH539 and notes ‘Search for Bismark - sunk by H.M.S. Dorsetshire at 1101 Hrs 26/5/41’. In August his Catalina conveyed C-in-C Western Approaches and other officers to and from Iceland and, the following month, the Polish Military Mission, together with ‘Bullion’, to and from Archangel.

On 11 January, 1941, Clayton had a lucky escape when Catalina AH547, with Pilot Officer ‘Doughy’ Baker at the controls, crashed on take off in the Firth of Lorne with the loss of four lives including the Captain. Understandably he was not airborne again for several months after this incident, joining a Sunderland Ferry Flight in May. He went operational again in December 1943, as Air Gunner on a Sunderland with No. 228 Squadron, and took part in a strike against a force of 11 enemy destroyers on the 28th. In the ensuing action between this force and H.M.S. Glasgow and H.M.S. Enterprise, he witnessed, during his twelve-hour flight, the sinking of three of the enemy’s destroyers which, at the same time, were putting up heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire. The lot is sold with further details of the Firth of Lorne crash.