Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Royal Air Force Flying Log Book.
The Log Book of Air Gunner Pilot Officer J. Austen, Royal Air Force, covering the period 15 November 1942 to 30 March 1944 (when shot down during the Nuremburg Raid and taken Prisoner of War); together with the recipient’s Prisoner of War scrap book, good condition (2) £180-£220

John Austen served during the Second World War as an Air Gunner initially with 158 Squadron (Halifaxes), and flew his first operational sortie on 16 February 1943, a bombing raid on Lorient. The recipient records in his Log Book ‘Flak Moderate. Bombed 10,000’ Lost one engine over channel’. Further operational sorties included Wilhelmshaven; Nuremburg; Cologne; Duisburg; Berlin (27 March 1943: ‘Heavy intense flak from 100 miles to target. Aircraft damaged’); Essen; Keil; Stuttgart (14 April 1944: ‘JU88 seen and evaded at target’); Pilsen (16 April 1944: ‘Low level attack on Skoda Works’); Dortmund; Duisburg (12 May 1943: ‘Searchlights and Flak intense. Port Aerloin and Starboard Inner Engine damaged from flak two hits on turret. Returned from target on 3 engines’); Dusseldorf; Le Creusot; Wuppertal; and Gelsenkirchen, this final sortie taking place on the night of 25-26 June 1943.

Austen records in his Log Book: ‘Awarded D.F.C. on completion of 30 Operational Trips’, although no reference of this award has been found.

After a spell at the Central Gunnery School, Austen was posted to 640 Squadron (Halifaxes), and began his second operational tour on 15 February 1944, a raid on Berlin. Further operational sorties included Leipzig (20 February 1944: ‘Attacked by FW190’); Stuttgart; Sweinfurt; Augsburg; Trappès; Le Mans; Frankfurt; Berlin (24 March 1944: ‘FW190 shot down in target’); and Essen.

Austen was shot down and taken Prisoner of War during the Nuremburg Raid, 30-31 March 1944. Held at Stalag Luft 1, he was repatriated following the cessation of hostilities.

Sold together with a photograph of the recipient; and other ephemera.