Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War and Korean War pilot’s campaign group of six awarded to Lieutenant L. H. Terry, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, who flew Barracuda torpedo bombers in Europe and the Pacific in 1945 and later flew Firefly fighters from H.M.S. Ocean in Korea in 1952 - he was killed while on loan to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1954 when his Grumman Avenger crashed shortly after take-off

1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (Lieut. L. H. Terry R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed as issued, good very fine (6) £800-£1,200

Leslie Harry Terry was commissioned Acting Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1942 and advanced Temporary Sub Lieutenant on 22 June 1943. A qualified Pilot, he served at R.N.A.S. Owl (Fearn, Ross-shire), from November 1943, in Dive-Bomber Instruction Duties and Navy Lists confirm him joining 812 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm on 10 February 1945. He was, in fact, one of the original complement of pilots of the Squadron formed at H.M.S. Blackcap, (R.N.A.S. Stretton), Cheshire on 1 June 1944.

812 Squadron was a Torpedo-Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron initially with 12, later 16, Fairey Barracuda aircraft. The squadron relocated to H.M.S. Jackdaw (Fife, Scotland) on 28 June 1944 and then H.M.S. Ringtail (Lancashire) on 7 September 1944. On the latter journey Terry’s Barracuda developed fuel feed problems forcing him to ditch in the sea 3 miles south west of Blackpool, the crew of three being rescued from their dinghies by the coastguard 2 hours later.

On 12 March 1945, 812 Squadron joined the newly commissioned aircraft carrier H.M.S. Vengeance, arriving at its new base at H.M.S Falcon (Hal Far, Malta) on 20 March 1945. The squadron flew sorties over Sicily during April before celebrating V.E. Day on Malta and returning to H.M.S. Vengeance to prepare for war in the Pacific Theatre. Arriving at H.M.S. Ukussa (Ceylon) in June 1945, they continued to Australia aboard Vengeance to prepare for the invasion of Japan should it have been required. After V.J. day, Terry returned to Lee-on Solent via Ceylon with the British Fleet and was released from Naval Service on 30 June 1946.

Terry was granted a Short Service Commission in the Executive Branch of the Royal Navy in the rank of Lieutenant on 7 April 1950 (London Gazette 1 May 1951), and served as a Fairey Firefly Pilot with 825 Naval Air Squadron aboard the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ocean during the Korean War. His first patrol began on 10 May 1952, when Ocean sailed from Sasebo. Operations began on 11 May and were costly in aircraft with three lost and three damaged. On 17 May, Ocean set a new daily record of sorties (123 sorties flown), with only one aircraft damaged during the day, Lieutenant Terry’s aircraft’s port undercarriage leg collapsed, during the last land-on.

H.M.S. Ocean completed 10 patrols between May and November 1952 during which her planes flew a total 5601 sorties. 825 Squadron was disbanded in late 1953 and Terry was loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy in December, joining VS 880 (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Squadron as a Grumman Avenger pilot, based at Shearwater, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Lieutenant Terry was killed when his Avenger crashed minutes after take-off from R.C.N.A.S. Shearwater on 26 January 1954.