Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The outstanding Second War fighter ace’s D.F.C. and Second Award Bar group of eight awarded to Squadron Leader J. M. V. ‘Chips’ Carpenter, Royal Air Force, who scored a number of aerial victories flying Spitfires with 222 Squadron from Hornchurch during the most dangerous phase of the Battle of Britain; twice required to take to his parachute himself, on one occasion he was blown from his cockpit over Kent by anti aircraft fire. Having earlier flown Gladiators from frozen ice strips during the Norwegian campaign, his lengthy operational career saw him gain further victories in Hurricanes over Malta in 1941-42. Promoted Flight Commander, he next flew Kitty Hawks and Spitfires in the Western Desert Campaign prior to his being given command of 72 Squadron in Italy in 1944: he recorded a final tally of at least eight confirmed victories, with numerous ‘probable’ and ‘damaged’ enemy aircraft also to his credit

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the cross officially dated ‘1942’ and additionally privately engraved ‘F/O. J. M. V. Carpenter 222 Sqn. 126 Sqn. R.A.F.’, the reverse of the bar officially engraved ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star, 1 clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953, very fine (8) £6,000-£8,000

Provenance: Glendining’s 7 December 1988, when sold by order of the recipient, together with the same original items. The D.F.C., which was not privately engraved at the time of the Glendining’s sale, was subsequently engraved by the buyer with the permission of the recipient. Sold with a letter from the present vendor, dated May 2020, that gives a full account of the Provenance of the medals, from the time of the Glendining’s sale to the present

Note: A set of replacement medals to this recipient, stamped ‘R’, and issued ‘30 November 1988 on payment’ (reverse of D.F.C. issue card refers), together with a substantial archive, mostly of wartime correspondence, was sold by Sotheby’s in September 1990 and is now held by the Imperial War Museum. A full copy of that archive is sold with this lot, see below.

D.F.C. London Gazette 2 January 1942.
The original recommendation states: ‘This officer has been engaged in operational flying over a long period. He fought in the Battle of Britain and destroyed 4 enemy aircraft, besides damaging many others. He has participated in numerous operations since he has been at Malta, and has destroyed 2 Italian aircraft. In a low flying attack over Augusta, the elevator and rudder controls of Flying Officer Carpenter’s aircraft were shot away. In spite of this, he flew the aircraft over 120 miles of sea back to his base, and landed safely. This officer has consistently shown great courage and fighting spirit and has set a magnificent example.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 7 July 1944.
The original recommendation states: ‘This officer has an exceptional record, having been engaged on operational flying almost continuously since the outbreak of war. He has been in command of his squadron since January, 1944. The many successes achieved by the squadron during that period are in no small measure due to the fine leadership Squadron Leader Carpenter and the inspiring example he has set of steadfastness and devotion to duty. Since being awarded the D.F.C. this officer has destroyed a further three enemy aircraft, bringing his total to eight enemy aircraft destroyed to date.’

John Michael Vowles Carpenter was born on 9 April 1921 in Conway, Wales, the son of Squadron Leader J. E. Carpenter, and was educated at Clifton College. On leaving there, he was accepted into the Royal Air Force and commenced elementary flying instruction in May 1939. Promoted Pilot Officer in December 1939, he was posted to 263 Squadron at Filton in January 1940 and embarked for Norway aboard H.M.S. Furious in April. However, flying from strips on frozen lakes, after only a few days all the Squadron’s Gladiators had either been destroyed or become unserviceable, and the squadron members re-embarked for the U.K.

In May 1940 a second attempt was made aboard H.M.S. Glorious, and although the Squadron greatly distinguished itself in providing cover during the evacuation of our troops, nearly all of its members were lost aboard the Carrier when she was sunk by the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst on her return voyage. Carpenter was lucky enough to have been aboard another ship at the time.

Converting to Spitfires, Carpenter joined 222 Squadron at R.A.F. Digby during the opening stages of the Battle of Britain. Moving south to join No. 11 Group, the Squadron arrived at Hornchurch on 29 August and was immediately involved in the most dangerous part of the Battle, the Luftwaffe’s assault on Fighter Command's inland airfields that lasted from 24 August until 6 September. Hornchurch was the target of repeated raids, including one in which three aircraft from 54 Squadron were destroyed while taking to the air! Carpenter rapidly made his own mark, claiming a probable Me. 109 on 31 August. He then shot down an Me. 109 on 1 September and an Me. 110 two days later, but was himself shot down and had to bale out. On 4 September he shot down another Me. 109 but his Spitfire was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and he was forced to take to his parachute again.

Writing to his parents from West Kent General Hospital on 7 September, Carpenter described the incident:
‘I had just attacked an Me. 109 and was breaking away at some pretty speed when, I did not know it at the time, I was hit by one of our own 3.7 anti-aircraft shells. I am not shooting a line when I say that the machine just disappeared from under me in one big bang! With a bit of luck which must go with that watch of yours, I found myself propelled clear of the aeroplane. I then pulled the rip cord and started my graceful descent to earth. I must have got hit over the head some where because I could not see coming down. I knew I was nearing the ground but my eyes would just not function. Considering all the good luck I had it was not surprising that it had to change. I landed in the hardest, nobbliest and most spiteful tree you could imagine. It was a sort of nut tree. Needless to say I was carted off to hospital with many scratches and cuts, where they chloroformed me and did a bit of needlework. But now I am glad to say having recovered from the chloroform, which made me sick as a dog, I hope to be able to get up soon. The blighters ruined a good pair of trousers by cutting them off when I came in so I have sent off to Hornchurch for some more.’

Carpenter spent some time awaiting the delivery of his trousers, finally re-joining 222 Squadron on 24 October. Six days later the Squadron ran into about eighty Me. 109s over Maidstone; he damaged one with a five second burst from 100 yards but was in turn attacked by two enemy aircraft, returning to base with a damaged airscrew and engine. Once again he wrote home with a vivid description of the day’s fighting:
‘I dived down and had a good old burst at one of them but before I had finished I was myself attacked by two 109’s and I was absolutely peppered with cannon shells and machine gun fire. My instrument panel broke up infront of me for the fire came from over my shoulder. The engine started thumping and vibrating so that I thought that it might shake the wings off. But I found that by putting it into fine pitch the vibration was not so bad. Luckily the engine did not seize up for I managed to struggle back over the aerodrome ... When I got out and inspected the aeroplane, the Flight Sergeant counted over three hundred holes in the fuselage. A piece of propeller had been shot away and my wireless mast had been carried away by a cannon shell. In fact it looked something like a sieve.’

Like many other distinguished Battle of Britain pilots, Carpenter next found himself posted to the Middle East and ultimately Malta. Joining 46 Squadron (later re-numbered 126), who were operating with Hurricanes, he fought with distinction in many engagements over and around ‘The George Cross Island’. On 30 June 1941 he shot down a Macchi 200, and claimed another of these on 4 September. He was then promoted Flight Commander in October 1941 and awarded an overdue D.F.C. for 6 confirmed victories, 4 (3 Me. 109s and 1 Me. 110) during the Battle of Britain. He then destroyed two Macchi 200s in November, shot down a Ju. 88 into the sea in late December and claimed another Ju.88 probably destroyed in January 1942.

Carpenter joined 112 Squadron in the Western Desert soon afterwards, and operated for the first time with Kittyhawks, but in May 1942 he was posted to 92 Squadron which had recently arrived with Spitfires. He assumed command of 72 Squadron at Lago in Italy in January 1944 and while there received the Second Award Bar to his D.F.C. for the successful command of his Squadron and 8 confirmed victories. In point of fact Carpenter finished the War with 8 confirmed victories, 2 probables and 9 damaged.

In April 1944 Carpenter returned to the U.K. and became a production test pilot at Hawkers. Granted a permanent commission in September 1945, Squadron Leader ‘Chips’ Carpenter finally retired from the Royal Air Force in December 1959. During the war, Carpenter named his fighter aircraft “Chez Nina” after the Piccadilly night-club frequented by Battle of Britain pilots, which was run by Becky who later became his second wife.


Sold with the following original items: Invitation card to the Victory Dance Club (Sliema) in aid of Malta Relief Fund (6 December 1941) addressed to F/Lt. J. M. V. Carpenter; two certificates of inoculation, named to Flt. Lt. Carpenter, dated 1956; Instrument Pilot Rating Certificate to Flt. Lt. J. M. V. Carpenter, R.A.F. Form 5214A, dated 1958; four photographs (3 contemporary original, 1 stock), each containing the recipient; accompanying slip for campaign awards, correctly marked; a silver presentation tankard, engraved ‘Presented to Squadron Leader J. M. V. Carpenter, D.F.C. Officer Commanding. 80(F) Squadron. R.A.F. Hong Kong. July 1951 - January 1954. By the Officers and N.C.O.s’; London Gazette 11 September 1946 containing Dowding’s Battle of Britain despatch, complete with appendices AA, B and D; two Westminster Abbey Battle of Britain Thanksgiving Service booklets, dated September 1965 and September 1986; a copy of the Sunday Express Magazine, 8 July 1990, with front page feature regarding the recipient and an interview with the recipient within.

Also sold with a comprehensive set of Squadron Operations Records including Combat Reports covering the recipients career, December 1939 until January 1954 and a fully bound and indexed copy of the substantial collection of wartime correspondence, and other printed or photographic matter relating to the recipient sold by Sotheby’s in 1990, now held by the Imperial War Museum, comprising: Journal kept by Carpenter’s mother; letters written by the recipient including during the Battle of Britain in 1940, on Malta in 1941, in 1942 including ‘rest period’ in South Africa, in 1943 covering details of service with No. 92 Squadron on Malta and the invasion of Sicily, in 1944 including news of his appointment as Squadron Leader of No. 72 Squadron in Italy; investiture documentation and newspaper cuttings and portrait photographs.