Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Coastal Command D.F.C., A.F.C. group of seven awarded to Group Captain T. H. Carr, Commanding No. 220 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1940’; Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1941’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals; Iraq, Active Service Medal, with clasp for ‘Southern Kurdistan 1930-31’, together with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book for the period April 1937 to January 1946 and various photographs, good very fine (7)

D.F.C. London Gazette 9 July 1940. The following details were taken from the official recommendation: ‘Squadron Leader Terrence Howard Carr. This officer has commanded No. 220 Squadron during a week of intensive operations, personally leading on all bombing attacks on enemy targets, on Rotterdam and elsewhere, and in other operational flights against the enemy. He has led his squadron in four long flights by day and night and it is largely due to his high courage and example that his squadron has achieved successful results.’

A.F.C. London Gazette 17 March 1941. The following details were taken from the official recommendation: ‘Wing Commander T. H. Carr, 220 Squadron, No. 18 Group. This officer was pilot of an aircraft which took part in a search for the crew of a bomber, reported down in the sea on 24th September, 1940. A rubber dinghy was located, but bad weather conditions made it very difficult to keep this in sight, and a high speed launch, proceeding to the rescue, was forced to turn back by heavy seas. Wing Commander Carr maintained contact with the dinghy for five and a half hours, only giving up when darkness set in. The search was continued in vain on the next two days, but on the 27th September, during his second search that day, Wing Commander Carr found the dinghy and remained over it for four hours, until surface craft reached and rescued the sole survivor. This officer displayed skill and cool judgement in his search, and great determination in maintaining contact for nine and a half hours, under conditions of great strain.’

Terrence Howard Carr was the son of Major-General Howard Carr, C.B., late R.A.M.C. He was serving as a regular officer in the Royal Air Force prior to the outbreak of the second world war and was piloting Singapore Flying Boats with No. 230 Squadron before being posted to No. 206 Squadron in January 1940, flying Ansons and then Hudsons. This Coastal Command Squadron was employed primarily on reconnaissance duties but also carried out several offensive operations such as attacks on enemy ports, vessels and flak ships. In May 1940 he was given command of No. 220 Squadron, leading his Hudsons on patrols over the Dunkirk beaches during the epic retreat of the B.E.F. from France during June. For this and other offensive operations he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. For his part in the rescue of an aircrewman, adrift in a dinghy for 84 hours in appalling conditions, Wing Commander Carr was awarded the Air Force Cross. He went on to become Station Commander at Detling and Bircham Newton, and was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander, ending the war with over 2500 flying hours logged. See also lot 348 for the D.F.M. group awarded to Sgt Savill who sadly died at sea during the search operation for which Carr was awarded the A.F.C.