Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lieutenant W. B. Sutton, South African Air Force

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially named ‘99812 W. B. Sutton’, with Union Defence Forces and named Record Office enclosures, in envelope of issue addressed to ‘Mr. W. B. Sutton c/o Standard Bank, Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia’, good very fine (5) £240-£280

William Buckley Sutton joined the South African Air Force on 11 September 1940, and originally trained as a Wireless Operator at No. 64 Air School, Bloemfontein, and then as an Air Gunner at No. 65 Air School, Cape Town. Sent to the Middle East on 6 November 1941, he did not fly any operations, before returning to South Africa on 19 November 1942 for Pilot training at No. 75 Air School, Pretoria. He qualified to wear his S.A.A.F. Flying Badge on 25 March 1944, and was then posted as a Pilot to 26 Squadron, flying Wellingtons for the rest of the War on various anti-submarine patrols off West Africa.

Sold with the recipient’s South African Air Force Observers or Air Gunners Log Book, covering the period 20 February 1941 to 27 August 1941; the recipient’s South African Air Force Pilot’s Log Book, covering the period 24 August 1943 to 30 September 1945, this re-bound in cloth covers; cloth pilot’s wings; the recipient’s riband bar; 5 Wing S.A.A.F. badge; and three S.A.A.F. cap badges.