Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second War United States of America D.F.C. group of ten awarded to Captain G. C. Fahnestock, United States Air Force, who completed an operational ‘Tour’ as a Pilot Officer, Royal Canadian Air Force, in a Wellington with No. 99 Squadron and was subsequently shot down during a raid on Zudsusques. Taken Prisoner of War he was held at the infamous Stalag Luft 3 from where he survived the Death March in 1945

United States of America, Distinguished Flying Cross, bronze, with case of issue; Air Medal, bronze, with four silver oak leaf clusters on riband, with case of issue; European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, bronze, with bronze star on riband; World War II Medal, bronze; Army of Occupation Medal, bronze; United Kingdom, 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with Overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver, mounted court-style, extremely fine (10) £1800-2200

Gibson Clarence Fahnestock was born in Southbourn, Hampshire, on 14 July 1913, into a wealthy American family (his grandfather, who died the following year, left US$18 million to his children in his will), and was educated privately and at Downing College, Cambridge, before returning to America, where he spent two years at Harvard University reading Modern and Medieval Languages. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was commissioned Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force on 25 June 1941, and having qualified as a pilot, undertook a Wellington conversion course at No. 11 O.T.U. Posted to No. 99 Squadron, his first operational sortie was to Bremen on 12 October 1941; further targets included Nuremberg, Kiel, Berlin, and Le Harve. Transferring to No. 101 Squadron in February 1942, he continued his first tour with operations over Cologne (2), Essen (5), Lubeck, Hamburg (3), Dortmund, St. Nazaire (2), Emden (3), Bremen (2), and Duisburg, with his final raid being over Dusseldorf on 31 July 1942.

After a brief period as an instructor, Fahnestock transferred to the United States Air Force as a First Lieutenant on 23 February 1943 and converted to the B-26 Bomber. He was shot down on his 26th operational sortie, a raid on Zudsusques near St. Omer, on 20 March 1944, when his plane was hit by flak in the right engine, and forced to bale out. Of the crew of six, three escaped capture; two were taken Prisoner of War, and one was killed. Fafnestock was one of those taken Prisoner of War. Held at Stalag Luft 3, he was forced to participate in the infamous ‘death march’ in early 1945, and, surviving, was liberated from Stalag 7A at Mooseburg following the German surrender, arriving at Camp Lucky Strike on 15 May 1945.

Returning to America after the War he died on 17 July 1965, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Sold together with the recipient’s related miniature awards; Commission Document appointing the recipient a Pilot Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, dated 25 June 1941; Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot’s Log Book, covering the period 25 September 1941 to 4 January 1944; silver identity bracelet incorporating U.S.A. pilots wings; R.C.A.F. tunic buttons; Harvard University ‘Digamma’ silver medal, the reverse engraved ‘Gibson Clarence Fahnestock ‘36’; Star Class World Championship silver medal with red enamel star, reverse engraved ‘Crew 1935’; 9th Air Force embroidered tunic badge; 451st Bombardment Squadron book of Honour; two Transition Flying Instruction Certificates; and various copied research.