Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War Lancaster Navigator’s D.F.C. awarded to Flight Lieutenant R. W. Corkill, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for 26 operational sorties with 9 Squadron in 1943 including attacks on many heavily defended German targets and the famous strike on the V-2 rocket site at Peenamunde: his further 11 sorties with 630 Squadron were no less eventful, featuring a daylight raid on the Urft Dam, the opening night of the famous firestorm attacks on Dresden in February 1945 and a memorable outing to Lützkendorf when the bombing run was pressed home on three engines

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1944, in its Royal Mint case of issue, extremely fine £1,200-£1,600

D.F.C. London Gazette 21 January 1944.

The Recommendation states: ‘This officer has completed a most successful tour of operations as Navigator. The great majority of his sorties have been over the most heavily defended areas of Germany; and he successfully participated in the raid on vital enemy installations in Peenamunde, which called for the highest standards of navigational efficiency. His conscientious and accurate work, often in the most difficult circumstances, has earned him the confidence and respect of his Captain and crew.
An indication of his skill and determination is given by the fact that the farthest from the target of his bombing photographs is 1.75 miles, and he invariably attacked at the time detailed.’

M.I.D London Gazette 1 January 1945

Robert Williams Corkill was born in 1908 in Ballasalla, Isle of Man. Having joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, he carried out his initial training from 12 September 1942 as a Navigator on Ansons at No. 10 (Observers) A.F.U., R.A.F. Dumfries. Subsequent postings included No. 19 O.T.U., R.AF. Kinloss (Ansons and Whitleys), and 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit, R.A.F. Wigsley where, in April 1943, Corkill converted to Lancasters. He was posted as a Navigator for operational flying to No. 9 Squadron (Lancasters), R.A.F. Bardney, May 1943.

Thrust straight into Bomber Command’s strategic night bombing offensive against German cities, Corkill flew as a supernumerary 2nd Navigator on the Pilsen raid of 13 May 1943 and then as Navigator in a further 26 operational sorties with the squadron from 23 May 1943 until 22 October 1943, including Dortmund, Dusseldorf (2), Essen, Bochum, Oberhausen, Cologne (4), Krefeld, Wuppertal, Gelsenkirchen, Milan (2), Nurnberg (2), Peenemünde ‘Bombed 4800’’ (log book refers), Berlin, Munich, Hanover (2), Kassel (2), Stuttgart and Leipzig.

For all these latter flights Corkill’s Lancaster was piloted by Sergeant (later the same tour - Pilot Officer) J. H. S. Lyon, R.A.A.F., an Australian who earned a D.F.C. for the same tour but was killed in a flying accident with 11 Operational Training Unit on 15 March 1944.

After the completion of this tour, Corkill was awarded the D.F.C.; the recommendation (dated 17 November 1943) highlighting his participation in the famous Peenemünde Raid of 17/18 August 1943 which Bomber Command had been ordered to carry out against the German research establishment on the Baltic coast where V-2 rockets were being built and tested. On this occasion No. 9 Squadron, as part of No. 5 Group, were in the third and final wave of attacking aircraft which suffered most of the casualties on the raid when German night-fighters arrived in force. This moonlit night was the first time the Germans used their new Schraege-musik weapons (twin upward firing cannons fitted in the cockpit of Me 110s). The Squadron were fortunate to escape without loss.

Having earlier been commissioned Pilot Officer on 6 July 1943, Corkill was posted for instructor duties to No. 17 Operational Training Unit at Turweston in November 1943. He was advanced Flying Officer on 9 Jan 1944 and served in a training role until December 1944 at which time he was posted to 630 Squadron, a Lancaster unit based at R.A.F. East Kirkby, Lincolnshire.
Piloted during this tour by Squadron Leader M. R. Cuelemaere - a Canadian Flight Commander who completed the war with a D.F.C. and bar to his name - Corkill notes in his log book that his first Operational Sortie with 630 Squadron was a daylight raid on the Uft Dam at Heinbach on 8 December 1945, his Lancaster being diverted to land at Tarrant Rushton on the return from its shortened trip. This was followed by a further 10 sorties to axis targets between 5 January and 23 April 1945, including the famous Dresden Raid of 13 February 1945 when masses of incendiaries kindled the worst ‘firestorm’ of the war - 1,600 acres were devastated and over 35,000 casualties caused.

Towards the end of operations, on the night of 8-9 April, Corkill navigated ‘M-Mother’ on 630 squadron’s night bombing attack on the oil refinery at Lützkendorf in Eastern Germany. Darkness fell as the formation crossed the Rhine and there was no fighter or flak activity on the route to the target. With approximately 250 miles still to fly to reach Lützkendorf and at only 5,000 feet the starboard outer engine of ‘M-Mother’ failed but Squadron Leader Cuelenaere decided to press on aware that he would have to attack from lower than the expected bombing height of 8,000 feet. At the target where the weather conditions were hazy but with no cloud, Markers were laid in good time for H-hour (22:45 hours) and the crews were called in to bomb at H-1 from 8,000 to 14,000 feet. Major explosions followed and a particularly huge explosion was recorded by many crews at 22:52 hours. Consumate team work brought the crew to the target on time and they attacked successfully from 7,500 feet. On its return, ‘M-Mother’ was diverted to land at Honeybourne having completed 1300 miles on 3 engines. The oil refinery was comprehensively put out of action.

Following V.E. Day, Corkill transferred to 50 Squadron on 12 June 1945 and resigned his Commission as a Flight Lieutenant on 12 August 1946.

Sold with the recipient’s Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period September 1942 to September 1945; Air Ministry forwarding letter and Buckingham Palace enclosure letter for the D.F.C.; Air Ministry notification of award letter for the D.F.C.; Mention in Despatches Certificate in envelope addressed to Flight Lieutenant R. W. Corkill D.F.C., Gwaltoli, Ballasalla, Isle of Man; portrait photograph of the recipient in uniform; copy of the recipient’s original D.F.C. recommendation, and the recipient’s service dress uniform jacket with four front buttons, integrated waist belt, Observers’ half-brevet insignia, Flight Lieutenant’s braid on sleeves, five red chevrons denoting five years service and riband bar comprising the ribands of the Distinguished Service Cross, 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star with rosette representative of France and Germany clasp, and Defence Medal.