Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War ‘Lancaster Air Bomber’s’ D.F.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant E. A. Roberts, 61 and 617 Squadrons, Royal Force, who flew in at least 34 operational sorties with his first squadron, including the First Thousand Bomber Raid to Cologne, 30 May 1942, before transferring to The ‘Dambusters’. A Tallboy specialist, Roberts flew in a number of sorties with 617 Squadron, including the successful attacks on the railway viaducts at Bielefeld and Arnsberg, the Nienbrug railway bridge and the sinking of the German pocket battleship Lützow. The attack on the battleship was filmed and is held by the Imperial War Museum

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1109139. Sgt. E. A. Roberts. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, 1 copy clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted for wear, generally very fine or better (5) £3000-3400

D.F.M. London Gazette 18 May 1943:

‘This N.C.O. has completed 34 sorties [29 successful] involving over 200 hours on operations. His efforts as an Air Bomber have been characterised by the greatest determination to press home the attack. He secured three photographs of actual aiming points as well as many others of the target area. The targets include Berlin, Hamburg, Essen and Bremen as well as many important Italian objectives.

Throughout these operations, many of which have been done in the face of heavy opposition, he has always shown splendid courage and devotion to duty and he is strongly recommended for the award of the D.F.M.’

Edward Arnold Roberts was born in Holywell, North Wales, in December 1908. He initially served during the Second War as an Aircraftman Second Class with the Royal Air Force. Roberts carried out his initial training as a Wireless Operator at No. 2 Signals School, Yatesbury, from February 1941. He qualified as an Air Gunner in October 1941, having completed the course at No. 1 A.G.S., Pembrey. Roberts continued his training at No. 14 O.T.U., before being posted for operational flying as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner to 61 Squadron (Lancasters), Syerston, in May 1942. He flew in 34 operational sorties with the Squadron, the majority as Air Bomber, including: Cologne (4), including 30 May 1942 - the First Thousand Bomber Raid; St. Nazaire (2); Bremen (2); Wismar (2); Osnabruck; Kiel; Genoa (3), including 22 October 1942 and 6 November 1942, when he took a photograph of the Aiming Point on both sorties; Milan (2), including 15 February 1943, when he took a photograph of the Aiming Point; Stettin; Turin (3), including 8 December 1942, when he took a photograph of the Aiming Point; Duisburg; Munich; Essen (3); Berlin (2); Dusseldorf; Hamburg (2); Wilhelmshaven, and Nurenburg (2), including 8 March 1943, when he took a photograph of the Aiming Point.

After a brief return to No. 1 A.G.S., Roberts was posted as an Air Bomber Instructor to No. 82 O.T.U., Ossington, in July 1943. He was subsequently posted in the same capacity to No. 28 O.T.U., Castle Donington, before being posted to No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School, Syerston, in January 1945. It was whilst at the latter that he was crewed with Flight Lieutenant D. Rawes, and he was posted with his pilot to 617 Squadron (Lancasters), Woodhall Spa, in February 1945.

617 Squadron - The ‘Dambusters’

Roberts flew in 10 operational sorties with 617 Squadron. These included the attacks on Bielefeld railway viaduct, the aborted attack on 13 March and the successful attack on 14 March 1945. During the latter raid Squadron Leader C. C. Calder of 617 Squadron dropped the first of the 22,000lb Grand Slam bombs - the biggest high explosive bombs developed by any country during the war. It, in conjunction with the Tallboys carried by the rest of the squadron, wrecked the viaduct:

‘So great was the sudden loss of weight, the aircraft had risen some 500 feet in height. Calder could do nothing about this but he quickly regained his senses and turning, picked out the bomb as it fell towards the target. Because of an 11-second fuse he did not see the actual explosion, but suddenly over the intercom came a yell, ‘You’ve done it!’ It was the pilot of the Mosquito photographic aircraft... His cameraman... filmed the whole attack from 4.15 to 4.35pm. With this, Calder swung the aircraft round to have a look for himself and saw that at least 100 yards of the viaduct had collapsed...

In fact some 200 feet of the north viaduct and 260 feet of the southern viaduct were destroyed as well as three main spars. Photographs showed the viaduct had been wrecked and a direct hit by a Tallboy on the south-west approaches, had completely blocked all lines.

Flight Lieutenant Rawes dropped the Tallboy on a crossroads 750 yards from the target by mistake; Flying Officer Carey brought his bomb back when his sight went u/s...

By now 617 Squadron was used to making history, and on this day they made history yet again.’ (Beyond the Dams to the Tirpitz, The Later Operations of 617 Squadron, by A. W. Cooper refers)

Roberts took part in the successful attack on the Arnsberg railway viaduct, 19 March 1945. The Squadron used six Grand Slams during the raid, and successfully blew a 40 foot gap in the viaduct. Two days later Roberts was in one of 20 Lancasters of 617 Squadron designated to attack the Arbergen railway bridge. The latter was situated just outside of Bremen, and the Squadron destroyed two piers of the bridge during the raid.

On 22 March Roberts was in ‘twenty aircraft [that] took off to take out the Nienburg railway bridge. Conditions were ideal, with no cloud and good visibility. Fourteen aircraft carried Tallboys, with one-hour delayed fuses and six Grand Slams with 25-30 second fuses.

Squadron Leader Gordon saw his bomb fall as a near miss and reported the bridge as collapsed at the end of the attack. Squadron Leader Cockshott reported a direct hit, but Squadron Leader Powell ran into trouble. Unable to release their bomb on the first or second runs, by the time he was ready for a third run the bridge had been destroyed, so he had to bring it back. Flight Lieutenant Rawes believed his bomb to have gone through the eastern end of the bridge.

All the spars were broken or torn off the bridge, and the target was struck off Bomber Command’s list when a photo recce aircraft brought back pictures of the smashed bridge.’ (Ibid)

Between 13 - 16 April 1945, Roberts took part in the three attempted sorties to attack the German warships Prinz Eugen and Lützow in Swinemünde harbour. Piloted by Rawes, he flew in one of 18 Lancasters from the Squadron who successfully sank the pocket battleship Lützow, on 16 April. The weather for the operation ‘was excellent but a good deal of flak was encountered from the nearby town of Swinemünde. As they approached the ship, flying level for twenty minutes on the run in, the flak was intense and there were orange shell bursts all around them. Because the flak was so heavy they decided to fly in full force instead of splitting up into sections to bomb. Flight Lieutenant Gavin was hit on the run and had to jettison his bomb over the target area. It overshot by about 450 yards. Johnnie Fauquier was also hit and so was Squadron Leader Gordon... Flight Lieutenant Anning’s machine was hit by flak but not before he put his bomb alongside the Lützow. In addition the Lancasters of Rawes, Hill, Flatman, Spiers, Castagnola and Quinton were hit and damaged. Squadron Leader John Powell’s Lancaster (EG228 ‘V’) was hit in the port engine in the first barrage. It caught fire and the bomber slowly rolled over and went down... Powell and all his crew were killed [this was 617 Squadron’s last loss of the war]...

The ship, however, suffered direct hits and it was down by the stern after the attack. One Tallboy burst alongside it, the underwater explosion smashing the armour plating... Of 617 Squadron, thirteen carried Tallboys and six took Grand Slams.... The operation was filmed and this can be viewed at the Imperial War Museum.’ (Ibid)

Roberts flew in his last operational sortie of the war, 19 April 1945, when he took part in the successful attack on coastal battery positions at Heligoland. This was his final use of the Tallboy, prior to his posting to 15 Squadron, Mildenhall, in June 1945. Sergeant Roberts died in Rustingdon, West Sussex, in 1993.

Sold with the following related documentation: Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book (10 February 1941 - 28 July 1945), signed in an official capacity by Squadron Leader D. J. H. Maltby, D.S.O., D.F.C., who flew the 6th Lancaster on the Dams Raid and Squadron Leader E. D. Parker, G.C., D.F.C; named Buckingham Palace Investiture letter of invitation, dated 15 June 1945; two group photographs which include the recipient in uniform; order of service and invitations to St. Clement Danes for a Service of Thanksgiving and Commemoration to mark the 25th anniversary of 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force, dated 19 May 1968, and a file of copied research.