Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare North West Frontier ‘Wapiti Air Gunner’s’ A.F.M. group of six awarded to Corporal, later Pilot Officer, D. H. Davis, 60 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who was additionally recommended for the D.F.M. in recognition of his services with 59 Squadron prior to the fall of France. He was commissioned and transferred as an Air Observer to Coastal Command in July 1940, before being killed in action on a Blenheim bomber raid to Cherbourg, 1 August 1940.

Air Force Medal, G.VI.R. (562061 Cpl. D. H. Davis. R.A.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1935 (562061. L.A.C. D. H. Davis. R.A.F.); India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37, M.I.D. Oak Leaves [sic] (562061. L.A.C. D. H. Davis R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. Oak Leaves [sic], lacquered, generally very fine or better (6) £4000-5000

Provenance: Spink, November 1999.

A.F.M. London Gazette 2 January 1939, the recommendation states:

‘This Corporal Air Gunner has been largely responsible for the high efficiency maintained by his flight. He is an exceptionally good bomb-aimer and has proved himself to be a very good navigator. He has twice been employed as an air gunner on Singapore Reinforcement Flights. He has completed 1,255 hours of excellent and most conscientious flying as an air gunner.

In addition this airman took a prominent part in blockade operations, and spent long hours of work in the air over inhospitable country where a forced landing would have had disastrous results, and under hostile rifle fire. As leading air gunner in his flight he has also been largely responsible for the accuracy of attacks during punitive bombing.

Remarks by Group Commander:

His work in peace and semi-war time operations on the Frontier has been of a very high order. His cheerfulness and hard work under the most trying conditions has been a prominent factor in the efficiency of his flight.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 18 February 1938 and 17 October 1939.

David Henry Davis was a native of Smarden in Kent. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1924, and trained as an Air Gunner. He was posted for operational service to 60 Squadron (Wapitis) in Kohat, India. The squadron was primarily tasked with helping to quell various tribal disturbances on the North West Frontier, but also carried out the Singapore Reinforcement Flights, on which Davis flew with Squadron Leader Arthur Young (who later wrote a history of 60 Squadron). In correspondence Young wrote, ‘Davis was an exceptional individual all round and a good pilot. He was keen to fly all he could and on the Singapore Flight I let him fly the a/c from the back seat... whenever possible; and we did about one hour ‘shifts’ between us on the return flight unless the weather was too bad. He got a lot of practice and he was S/Ldr Sylvester’s - I think - A.G. on the Singapore Flight in 1938.’ (Letter included with lot refers)

Davis returned to England in the late 1930’s, and was commissioned Pilot Officer (Air Observer) in May 1940. He served with 59 Squadron (Blenheims) in France during the early stages of the Second War, when the squadron was employed as an army co-operation unit. Davis undertook a number of photo-reconnaissance and bombing sorties prior to the fall of France, and was unsuccessfully recommended for a D.F.M. in June 1940. He transferred with the squadron to Coastal Command in July 1940. The latter were tasked with bombing raids on enemy-held ports, and it was flying on one such sortie to Cherbourg, 1 August 1940, that Davis and his Blenheim crew were killed in action. He is buried in the St. Valery-En-Caux Cemetery, France.

Sold with copied research, correspondence and a photographic image of recipient during service on the North West Frontier.