Orders, Decorations and Medals

An exceptional Beaufighter pilot’s D.F.M. group of six awarded to Flying Officer A. M. O. Pring, Nos. 89 and 176 Squadrons Royal Air Force, a night fighter Ace with 9 Victories against German, Italian and Japanese aircraft, including 3 kills in four minutes over Calcutta, before he was finally killed when his Hurricane was shot down by Japanese fighters
Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1258998 F/Sgt. A. M. O. Pring, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; War Medal, the first on its original investiture pin, all mounted in a contemporary glazed display case with label inscribed ‘F/Off. A. M. O. Pring, Killed in Action 5-12-1943’, extremely fine (6)
£2500-3000

D.F.M. London Gazette 16 February 1943: Flight Sergeant Arthur Maurice Owen Pring, No. 176 Sqn., jointly with Warrant Officer C. T. Phillips, No. 176 Sqn. ‘On his first operational flight in the Far East, Warrant Officer Phillips as observer and Flight Sergeant Pring as pilot co-operated in the destruction of a formation of three Japanese aircraft within four minutes. Warrant Officer Phillips and Flight Sergeant Pring have completed numerous operational sorties, in the course of which they have displayed outstanding skill and courage. Flight sergeant Pring has destroyed a total of six enemy aircraft, while Warrant Officer Phillips has taken part in the destruction of eight enemy aircraft at night.’

Arthur Maurice Owen Pring joined the Royal Air Force in 1940, and in 1941 was posted to No. 604 Squadron as a nightfighter pilot flying Beaughfighters. He transferred to No. 125 squadron in June 1941, and on 4 July damaged a He-III. He was then posted to No. 89 Squadron in Egypt where he joined up with Warrant Officer C. T. Phillips, and destroyed a He-III over the Pyramids. In June 1942 Pring and Phillips accompanied “C” Flight to Malta, where in eight days the Flight had destroyed 7 aircraft, Pring shooting down two Ju-88s in one night. His later kills included an Italian bomber and by the end of 1942 his score was 6. In January 1943 Pring went with a detachment of No. 89 Squadron to Calcutta and on the 15th formed the nucleus of No. 176 Squadron.

The squadron became operational immediately, responsible for the night defence of Calcutta, and were very soon in action on the same night, January 15th, when in brilliant moonlight Japanese aircraft made an attack on the city. These were Army Type 97 bombers which were completely uncamouflaged and gleamed like silver fishes as they flew over in formation. The first Beau to sight the enemy was X7776 ‘M’ piloted by Flight Sergeant Pring with Phillips as his observer. Pring could hardly believe his eyes at the steady formation of ‘silver fish’ and, after a careful look round, he closed in from the rear and shot down three Jap aircraft without receiving any return fire. The whole engagement lasted less than four minutes and achieved wide publicity for Pring, the local newspapers carrying headlines like “Pring Prangs Three.” This early success not only boosted squadron morale, but also the prestige of the R.A.F. which had suffered badly whilst the Japanese had been able to bomb Calcutta without any effective opposition. Pring was given an immediate award of a DFM, recommended for a commission, and was in great demand as a guest at both private and civil dinner parties.

The remainder of the year was relatively quiet for Pring and his squadron, the Japs tending to stay well away from Calcutta after their heavy losses at the beginning of the year. However, on the 5th December, they mounted a daylight raid on Calcutta. The attack was made by medium bombers, this time escorted by Zero fighters. On this particular day, round about mid-day, a Spitfire squadron had just flown into Dum Dum after making the long flight from Delhi. Althought the Spitfire CO was requested to scramble his aircraft to meet the attack, he refused, saying his pilots were fatigued and in no fit state to go straight into action. It was decided therefore to put up the one flight of 176 Squadron’s nightfighter Hurricanes. Pring, now commissioned, just happened to be at dispersal at the time and, though not officially on duty, requested permission to fly one of the Hurricanes, and took off with the others. These particular Hurricanes had been stripped of all AI gear and armour plating to make them as light as possible, though they still retained four 20mm cannon and now had pilot-operated Mk VI AI gear. The Japanese bombers were reported by Calcutta GCI Station to be at about 18,000 feet, but no mention was made of the fighter cover. The Hurricanes were vectored onto the Japs and dived towards them, only to be jumped by Navy A6M Zero fighters of the 331st Kokutai. Pilot Officer Pring’s Hurricane was hit and went straight into the ground from 20,000 feet. His body was later recovered and buried in the British Military Cemetery in Calcutta. In addition to Pring, two of the other four Hurricanes were also shot down, one of the pilots being killed.