Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War Wellington and Lancaster wireless operator’s campaign group of five awarded to Flying Officer W. P. Suter, Royal Canadian Air Force, who flew in at least 37 operational sorties with 427 and 419 Squadrons R.C.A.F., including the Peenemunde Raid, 17/18 August 1943

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with Overseas clasp, this loose; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver, all in individual card boxes of issue, generally good very fine (lot) £300-£400

Walter Peter Suter was born in June 1920. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second, and carried out initial training as a wireless operator at No. 4 W.S.F.S., Burtch, from November 1941. After further training at No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario, and with R.A.F. Ferry Command at Dorval, Montreal, Suter was posted to the UK in April 1942.

Suter was posted to No. 25 O.T.U., and was involved in a fatal crash during a training raid, 4 September 1942, ‘Bailed out - Plane crashed. Lost Pilot & Bmdr.’ (Log Book refers)

Suter was posted for operational flying to 427 (Lion) Squadron (Wellingtons), R.C.A.F. at Croft in December 1942. He flew in 29 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Mining Terschelling; Lorient (2); Wilhelmshaven (2); Cologne (3); Essen (2); St. Nazaire; Bochum; Kiel; Frankfurt; Wuppertal (2); Le Creusot; Krefeld; Mulheim; Gelsenkirchen (2); Hamburg (4); Remsheid; Peenemunde Raid, 17/18 August 1943; Berlin and Hanover.

Having completed his tour, Suter was posted to No. 1659 Conversion Unit in November 1943. He was posted as an instructor to No. 2 W.S. Yatesbury in February 1944. After 6 weeks leave in Canada, Suter returned to operational flying when posted to 419 (Moose) Squadron (Lancasters), R.C.A.F. at Middleton St. George in November 1944. He flew in 8 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Oberhausen; Dusseldorf; Gelsenkirchen; Leipzig; Schwandorf; Bremen and Wangerooge, 25 April 1945, ‘Two collisions seen and one A/C blew up. Very good prang - little flak - no fights. Load 14 x 1000 lbs.’ (Ibid)

Suter advanced to Flying Officer, and returned to Canada after the war. Initially employed as an Indian Agent in Alberta, Suter emigrated to America and set up several successful businesses in and around Washington. He died in October 2000.

Sold with the following related items and documents: Royal Canadian Air Force cap badge; RCAF Operational Wings, with named certificate, the latter dated, 8 August 1945; General Service lapel badge, numbered ‘524395’; Canada cloth shoulder titles; RCAF Air Gunner’s Brevet; and RCAF Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book (17 November 1941 - 15 April 1946).