Auction Catalogue

17 & 18 July 2019

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

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Lot

№ 714

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17 July 2019

Hammer Price:
£500

Three: Sergeant (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner) P. F. Inman, 214 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who was killed in action when his Stirling was shot down during a raid on Bremen, 2-3 July 1942

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named medal ticket, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘J. F. Inman, Esq., Garrett House, Cartmel, Grange over Sands, Lancs.’, extremely fine (3) £300-£400

Peter Frederick Inman served during the Second World War as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner with 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron, based at R.A.R. Stradishall, flying Stirlings, and having taken part in the 1,000 bomber raids was killed in action when Stirling BF313, piloted by Sergeant T. E. L. Palmer, was shot down by Karl Heinz Scherfling at around 01:50 and crashed into mud flats at Westernieland, Groningen, Holland, whilst taking part in a raid on the port of Bremen on 2-3 July 1942. An eyewitness stated that the Stirling was attacked over his home town, Ten Boer, north-east of Groningen. He said: ‘It was a very busy night where planes are concerned. All of a sudden we heard bursts of machine gun fire, shortly after each other. Just after that bombs fell just east of St Annen.’

A police report states that 29 bombs were dropped of which only three ignited. Another eyewitness stated: ‘Up in the sky a fire became visible that moved in a northerly direction. A few days later we heard a plane had crashed near the dyke at Westernieland.’

Several people in North Groningen town heard the loud roar of engines overhead. Those who went outside to look saw a bomber flying north with what appeared to be a light inside. Once over the mud flats the plane caught fire, exploded and crashed. Another eyewitness remembers: ‘The pieces of the plane were strewn out over a large area, several kilometres across. This was about 1 to 2 km out into the mud flats from Westernieland. Three days later about 8 Dutchmen under the command of a German N.C.O. went out to recover the bodies. All they found was pieces of wreckage, no large parts of the plane were found. Most of the crew were found between and under the pieces. They were bought to the dyke where they were put into coffins after which they spent two days in a stable in Pieterburen. They were then buried in Westernieland.’

Inman is buried in Westernieland General Cemetery, in a prominent position with a pelouse d’honneur created by the local people in the centre of the cemetery. His medals were sent to his father Joseph Frederick Inman, who during the Great War had been awarded the Military Medal whilst serving with the Border Regiment (
London Gazette 13 June 1919).

Sold with three original leave pass railway tickets, and various copied research.