Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War D.F.M. group of seven awarded to Flying Officer W. E. Dunhill, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, late Auxiliary Air Force, who was decorated for a gallant tour of operations as a Rear Gunner in Whitleys and Halifaxes of 78 Squadron and Halifaxes of 35 Squadron (Path Finder Force), his sorties including an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest; the ‘Thousand Bomber Raids’ on Cologne, Essen, and Bremen, May to June 1942; and the Hamburg ‘firestorm’ raids of Operation Gomorrah, July to August 1942

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (804266 F./Sgt. W. E. Dunhill, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (804266 F./Sgt. W. E. Dunhill, A.A.F.) generally good very fine (7) £1,800-£2,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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D.F.M. London Gazette 12 January 1943.

The original recommendation states: ‘Flight Sergeant Dunhill has proved unfailing in his keenness and cheerfulness to combat the enemy during the many sorties upon which he has been engaged. His reliability has given his crew the utmost confidence throughout and his example has been, and continued to be, hard to equal. In recognition of his valuable selfless devotion to duty, Flight Sergeant Dunhill is recommended for the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.
Group Captain Commanding Path Finder Force added: The cheerful spirit in which Flight Sergeant Dunhill has at all times carried out his many operational missions deserves high praise. His thorough knowledge of his work and his unfailing keenness to fight the enemy single him out among his fellows. In recognition of the excellent work he has done, and is still doing, Flight Sergeant Dunhill is recommended for the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Walter Edward Dunhill commenced his operational career as a Rear Gunner in 78 Squadron, a Whitley unit, in late 1941, when he participated in a sortie to Kiel on the night of 1 November: owing to a fire in the starboard engine, his aircraft flew home on one engine. The following month he took part in an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest, and then in early 1942, after Dunhill and his crew had attacked additional German targets, including Dusseldorf and Emden, 78 Squadron converted to Halifaxes.

Dunhill participated in the first 1,000 Bomber Raid, Operation Millennium, on Cologne on the night of 30-31 May 1942; and subsequently in the second and third 1,000 Bomber Raids, on Essen, 1-2 June 1942, and Bremen, 25-26 June 1942, respectively,as well as raids on Bonn, Emden, Bremen (three more times), Duisburg, Saarbrucken, and Dusseldorf. He also participating in the opening and final nights of the famous ‘firestorm’ raids on Hamburg, Operation Gomorrah, 26-27 July and 2-3 August 1942.

Shortly afterwards Dunhill and his crew transferred to 35 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Linton-on-Ouse, as part of the newly established Path Finder Force (P.F.F.). Their first sorties as members of the P.F.F. were flown in September, including two trips to Saarbrucken, their fifth to Bremen, and attacks against Duisburg, Frankfurt, and Dusseldorf. He completed his operational tour with two sorties to Turin on 18 and 20 November 1942, and for his services during this tour was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.

Sold with copied research including copied extracts from the relevant Operations Record Books for all of his sorties.