Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Warrant Officer J. Hall, Royal Air Force

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with Air Council enclosure, in named card box of issue addressed to ‘J. Hall, Esq., 9 Briton Street, Royton, Lancs.’, with ‘ticker tape’ slips confirming the recipient’s service number, rank, and medal entitlement, extremely fine (4) £200-£240

James Hall joined No. 1 Signals School in September 1942 and qualified as a Wireless Operator on 14 October 1942. Proceeding to 33 Air Navigation School at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, he qualified as a Navigator on 19 March 1943, and then joined No. 31 General Reconnaissance School. His first operational posting was to 47 Squadron (Beaufighters), based at Gambut in the eastern Mediterranean, and he flew his first offensive sortie, an attack on Rhodes Harbour, on 12 January 1944. Further successes were achieved over the next two months, culminating with a torpedo strike that sank an enemy destroyer on 22 February 1944:
‘18 Beaufighters (6 Torpedo, 12 Anti-Flak) in Torpedo Strike on M.V. of 5,300 tons. Ship’s escort 2 Destroyers, 6 Me.109s, 4 Ju.88s, and 6 Do.196s. 2 hits on ship, 1 hit destroyer. Both sunk.’ (the recipient’s Flying Log Book refers).

Hall proceeded with his Squadron to India in April 1944, and transferred to Base Air Forces South East Asia in December of that year, responsible for the air defences of southern India and the whole coastline from Bengal to Karachi. He served with them as a Navigator for the rest of the War, flying exclusively Expeditors, and finally returned to the U.K. in February 1946.

Sold together with the recipient’s Air Forces in India Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book; and three photographs.