Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A well-documented Sunderland Air Gunner’s Malaya and Korea campaign group of six awarded to Flight Sergeant A. E. Davenport, Royal Air Force

Defence and War Medals 1939-45 General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R.(1019401 F/Sgt. A. E. Davenport. R.A.F.); Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (1019401 F. Sgt. A. E. Davenport. R.A.F.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (1019401 F. Sgt. A. E. Davenport. R.A.F.) mounted as originally worn, generally very fine (6) £700-£900

Arthur Edward Davenport was a native of Hastings, Sussex. He served during the Second War with the Royal Air Force, and carried out his initial training as an Air Gunner at No. 4 A.G.S., Morpeth from July 1942. Davenport qualified as an Air Gunner Instructor in October 1942, and stayed employed in this capacity at Morpeth until December 1944. His Log Book does, however, give him as flying as a ‘Front Gunner’ in a Lancaster for an operational sortie with 50 Squadron to Turin, 28/29 November 1942 - the latter being the operational sortie for which Flight Sergeant R. H. Middleton of 149 Squadron was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

Davenport was posted to No. 10 O.T.U., Abingdon in January 1945, and then to No. 1699 H.C.U., Oulton in May of the same year. He served with 223 Squadron (Fortresses) at Oulton, June - August 1945, and stayed on after the war to serve with 12 Squadron (Lincolns) at Binbrook from December 1947. He went with a detachment to Shallufa, Egypt, in January 1949, before being attached to 1 Squadron, 82 Bomber Wing, R.A.A.F., Amberley, Australia from September 1949. Davenport advanced to Flight Sergeant and returned to Binbrook early the following year, and was once again detached to Shallufa in October 1950 - from where he flew in one of two Lincoln crews to take part in the scattering of 250,000 poppies over the El Alamein Cemetery during the joint Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force El Alamein Day observance ceremony.

Davenport was posted as an Air Gunner to 209 (H.K.) Squadron (Sunderlands) at Seletar, Singapore, in February 1951. He took part in a number of Operation “Firedog” operational sorties during the Malayan Emergency, and flights off the Coast of Korea.

Sold with the following related items and documents: Two silver Manchester & Suburban Amateur Cricket League trophies, hallmarks for Birmingham 1936 and 1937, reverses engraved ‘Division III Championship A. E. Davenport North Salford C.C. 1936’, and ‘Division II Champions A. E. Davenport. North Salford 1937’ respectively, both very dented; Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book (19 July 1942 - 1 December 1950); Royal Air Force Flying Log Book For Navigators Air Bombers Air Gunners Flight Engineers (1 January 1951 - 26 October 1951) and a quantity of photographs and cuttings from various stages of recipient’s service career.