Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A ‘Battle of Britain’ casualty’s campaign group of three awarded to Flying Officer A. J. S. Pattinson, Royal Air Force, who, having earlier flown Blenheim nightfighter patrols with 23 Squadron, was killed serving with 92 Squadron when his Spitfire was shot down by a Messerschmitt 109 over Hawkinge, 12 October 1940

1939-45 Star, 1 copy clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Air Council condolence slip in the name of ‘Flying Officer A. J. S. Pattinson’ and ‘ticker tape’ entitlement slip, medals housed in a small glazed wooden frame, nearly extremely fine (3) £800-£1,200

Aberconway John Sefton Pattinson was born on 18 December 1918 in Chelsea, London and was commissioned Acting Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force on 19 February 1938. Posted to No. 5 Flying Training School, Sealand on 5 March, he afterwards joined No. 25 Squadron (Blenheims) at Hawkinge on 17 September 1938, the squadron relocating to Northolt the following August for the defence of the London area.

On 3 September 1939, Pattinson briefly joined 3 Squadron (Hurricanes) at Croydon but on 5 October, he moved on to 23 Squadron at Wittering and undertook convoy patrols and North Sea offensive patrols in Blenheims over the following weeks. Remaining with 23 Squadron during the ‘phoney war’ period, he undertook searchlight co-operation sorties from February to May 1940. He was then engaged in defensive nightfighter patrols from 5 June to 6 September - a period incorporating the opening and middle phases of the Battle of Britain.

Having been promoted to Flying Officer on 29 July 1940, Pattison was posted on 7 September to 616 Squadron, a Spitfire unit based at Coltishall from where, on 11 October, he was sent to join 92 Squadron, also equipped with Spitfires, on the front line of the Battle at Biggin Hill. The very next day he encountered a Messerschmitt Bf 109 over Hawkinge and in the ensuing combat was shot down and killed. His Spitfire, X 4591, crashed and burned out in Bartholomew’s Wood, Postling Wents.

The only son of Lieutenant J. F. Pattinson, Royal Engineers, who was killed on the Somme in May 1918 with the Australian Tunneling Corps, and his wife Daphne, he was 21 years of age at the time of his death and is buried in Parkstone Cemetery, Poole, Dorset.