Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A poignant Second World War pilot’s D.F.C. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant S. H. Alcock, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action over Belgium in January 1944: his story is told in Pathfinder Pilot, The Search for Selwyn Alcock, D.F.C.

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1944, and privately inscribed, ‘F./Lt. S. H. Alcock, R.A.F.V.R., 83 Sqn. R.A.F., L.G. 13-10-44’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, cleaned, otherwise extremely fine, together with wartime uniform “Wings” and D.F.C. tunic riband, a small sweetheart’s brooch and an R.A.F. tunic button (8) £1200-1500

Provenance: Roger Perkins Collection (via family source).

D.F.C. London Gazette 13 October 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Alcock, as captain of a heavy bomber, has completed 46 operational flights against the enemy, 15 of these being with the Path Finder Force. Throughout his operational tour he has been detailed to attack most of the heavily defended targets in Germany, including seven sorties in the battle of Berlin. Without fail, Flight Lieutenant Alcock has carried out his arduous duties with determination and skill, always courageously pressing home his attack to his utmost. On two recent occasions, when approaching Berlin, his aircraft suffered very concentrated and accurate anti-aircraft fire which resulted in an engine being put out of action on each occasion. Despite this, Flight Lieutenant Alcock continued on his bombing runs and marked and attacked his target successfully. His exemplary operational conduct and valour have contributed largely to the success of the operations in which he has taken part. I strongly recommend the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Selwyn Henry Alcock was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham in February 1919, the son of a clergyman. Educated at St. Luke’s Church of England School, Blakenhall and Worcestershire Cathedral School, he ultimately won a musical scholarship to Wells Cathedral School, Somerset, where he was a chorister for six years. Like his father before him, he decided on a career in the Church, but his subsequent degree course at Durham University was interrupted by the outbreak of hostilities.

Enlisting in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in the Spring of 1940, he qualified for his “Wings” that November and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer. Then in May 1941 he was posted to No. 83 Squadron, a Hampden unit operating out of R.A.F. Scampton, Lincolnshire. And he remained on Hampdens for the duration of his first operational tour, an aircraft with striking deficiencies that have been summed up by Max Hastings in Bomber Command (Michael Joseph, 1979):

‘The Hampden was the most urgent candidate for replacement: cruising at only 155 m.p.h., 10 m.p.h. slower than the other two [the Wellington and Whitley], this grotesque-looking flying glasshouse could stand little punishment, lacked power-operated turrets, and could only carry a 4000-lb. maximum bombload.’

His first sortie was flown on the night of the 25 May 1941, a mining run to Brest, when as a trainee pilot he acted in the role of Navigator - another ten sorties would follow before he became a pilot and Captain of Aircraft, including raids on Cologne, Hamburg and Osnabruck. Towards the end of the year, Alcock transferred to No. 49 Squadron, another Hampden unit based at Scampton, and went on to complete his first operational tour of 30 sorties on the night of 28 December. Heavily defended German targets again made up the greater part of his squadron’s operational agenda, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Mannheim being among them.

Advanced to Flying Officer, he transferred as an instructor to R.A.F. Honeybourne, where he served for the next 15 months, and was married in October 1942. Alcock returned to the operational scene with his old squadron, No. 83, in September 1943, this time as a Lancaster pilot on Path Finder Force duties. To begin with, however, he flew two missions as a 2nd Pilot, to Hannover and Mannheim, on the nights of 22nd and 23rd. Then came the “Big City”, Alcock piloting his Lancaster on several trips to Berlin over the next four months, trips that on at least one occasion ended with severe flak damage and a return flight on three engines (22 November 1943). On an outing to Frankfurt a week or two later, the failure of one engine on the outward flight resulted in the mission being aborted, Alcock once again piloting his Lancaster home on three engines. And again, on 2 January 1944, his Lancaster was hit by flak over Berlin, forcing Alcock to break off his bombing run. Stettin, Brunswick and Magdeburg followed, as did another sortie to the “Big City”, bringing Alcock’s total tally of sorties to 48.

Tragically, however, Alcock and his crew were all killed over Sautour, Belgium, on returning from their next sortie to Berlin on the night of 27 January 1944. Their Lancaster had been intercepted and shot down by one of the Luftwaffe’s top aces, Wilhelm Herget, a night fighter pilot who was eventually credited with 72 victories and awarded the Knight’s Cross with diamonds. As with Alcock’s earlier wartime career, this final sortie is described in detail in Roger Perkins’ biography Pathfinder Pilot, The Search for Selwyn Alcock, D.F.C., a copy of which is included.

Earlier on the day of Alcock’s death in action, Air Vice-Marshal Donald Bennett had approved the award of his Distinguished Flying Cross, an award that was received at Buckingham Palace by his young widow.

The remains of the crew were recovered by the Germans and buried locally, where a memorial to their sacrifice - erected by the villagers of Sautour - stands to this day.

Sold with the recipient’s widow’s leather-bound engagements book, the interior with numerous wartime newspapers cuttings regarding the P.F.F., her engagement and wedding in 1942 and, more poignantly, with handwritten poetry following Alcock’s death in action; together with a certified copy of their wedding certificate, stamped and dated 17 October 1942, and related wedding party photograph; another wartime photograph (coloured) of the recipient in uniform; and original “In Memoriam” leaflet published by the family.