Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War night fighter pilot’s D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant K. T. A. O’Sullivan, Royal Air Force, late Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who claimed three confirmed victories in Beaufighters over North Africa in 1943 and another one in a Mosquito over the U.K. in the following year, his preferred range for engagement being around 100 yards - or less: his post-war career extended to the Borneo operations and the award of a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Borneo (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.), mounted court-style as worn, generally good very fine (7) £3000-3500

D.F.C. London Gazette 15 August 1944. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘Flying Officer O’Sullivan has been a Night Operational Pilot for 23 months and during that period he has destroyed four enemy aircraft by night, and damaged one by day. This officer’s keenness to seek out and destroy the enemy, and his constant efforts to improve his already high operational ability have been an outstanding example to the rest of the unit. Whilst serving with No. 255 Squadron in North Africa, this officer damaged a He. 111 on 13 April 1943, destroyed a He. 111 on 11 May 1943 and destroyed two Ju. 88s on 27 May 1943. Since returning to this country, he has destroyed a Ju. 88 over the south coast whilst serving in this unit [No. 125 Squadron].’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 1 January 1946.

Kevin Thomas Anthony O’Sullivan, who was born in Tooting, London in December 1920, enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1940. Selected for pilot training, he attended elementary and advanced flying schools in the U.K. prior to being posted to No. 255 Squadron, a Beaufighter unit operating out of Coltishall, in December 1941. Ordered to the Middle East towards the end of 1942, he teamed-up with radio-navigator Flight Sergeant W. G. Hood, and flew with considerable success over North Africa, Aces High recording that his first successful encounter with the enemy took place on 13 April 1943, when he damaged a He. 111 in a combat over Sardinia. Greater success was to follow, for in the following month he gained three confirmed victories, namely a He. 111 on the 11th and a brace of Ju. 88s on the 27th. The combat reports for these latter encounters state:

Night of 11-12 May 1943: ‘Patrolled under Brownie and Donald East of Bizerte at 10,000 ft. until 2345 hours. Under Donald, put onto a bogey travelling west taking evasive action. Fleeting contact well out to starboard at maximum range, lost immediately. Hard turn to starboard given by control onto 260 degrees. Contact obtained again well to starboard. At 170 m.p.h. I.A.S. contact closed in rapidly closing to 3,000 ft. Closing to 120 yards, the enemy aircraft was identified as a He. 111 by silhouette and position of exhausts. At approximately 0010 hours when near Bizerte, fire was opened at 100-120 yards range with a one second burst with cannon only, strikes being seen on the fuselage. For three seconds, there was inaccurate return fire from a mid-upper position. This ceased when a second deflection burst from the Beaufighter hit the port engine which exploded, debris flying past the Beaufighter. A third one second burst at same range caused an explosion in the fuselage. The enemy aircraft went to starboard giving off flames and a great amount of smoke, finally hitting the ground and exploding. No one was seen to bale out. The Beaufighter orbitted for a time and then returned to base. Claim: One He. 111 destroyed.’

Night of 27-28 May 1943: ‘Patrolled at 10,000 ft. near Bizerte. Over to Spongebag who reported 10 bogeys to N.E. coming towards Bizerte. No height given. Spongebag brought the Beaufighter in behind, losing height to 8,000 ft. Contact obtained at 8,000 range to port and a little above. Closed very rapidly to 3,000 and identified a Ju. 88 by silhouette against light sky in west. Closed to 80-100 yards. Now 15-20 miles N.E. of Bizerte at approximately 2110 hours, an attempt was made to open fire, but it was not until the firing button had been manipulated in various positions for 15-20 seconds that a one second burst was given with all guns. The starboard engine of the enemy aircraft immediately burst into flames. As the Ju. 88 broke away to port, the rear gunner opened fire without damaging the Beaufighter. Visual was lost but contact held. The enemy aircraft was taking violent evasive action, but the Beaufighter was brought in to 1500 and visual regained. A little flame and a large amount of grey smoke could be seen coming from the starboard engine. The enemy aircraft was doing tight turns and had lost height to 6,000 ft. A full deflection one second burst was given at 60 yards range. The port engine exploded and strikes were seen along the fuselage. The aircraft went down vertically into the sea and disappeared. No member of crew was seen to bale out. Navigator Radio found he had another contact at 4,000 range above and well to starboard. Closed to 2,000 and identified a Ju. 88 by silhouette against the light western sky. At range of 100 yards dead astern and slightly below, a two second burst was given with all guns. The starboard engine exploded and strikes were seen along the fuselage. The enemy aircraft dived vertically into the sea. Two more explosions were seen in the engines as the aircraft went down. Spongebag had nothing more so the Beaufighter patrolled N.W.-S.E. just off Cap Bizerte. Claim: two J.U. 88s destroyed.’

Rested at No. 9 Group as a flying instructor, June 1943 to March 1944, O’Sullivan returned to the operational scene with an appointment in No. 125 Squadron, a Mosquito unit operating out of Hurn, in the latter month, and by the time he had been recommended for his immediate D.F.C. in June 1944, he had brought his total number of sorties to the 50 mark, comprising 176 hours flying time. He had, too, added another confirmed victory to his tally, namely a Ju. 88 over St. Catherine’s Point on the south coast on the night of 22-23 May 1944 - ‘We watched it go down and saw it hit the sea where it exploded’. His radio-navigator, Flight Sergeant W. G. Hood, who had followed him to No. 125 Squadron, received the D.F.M.

Having been demobilised in 1946, O’Sullivan rejoined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in 1951, initially being posted to No. 1 F.T.S. at Moreton-on-Marsh, prior to attending a refresher course on Mosquitos at Swinderby. An appointment in No. 39 Squadron followed, as did a spell at the Aircrew Selection Centre, Hornchurch, and he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air around this time (London Gazette 1 January 1957 refers). He also flew Meteors as a Staff Pilot in No. 1 Squadron out of Thorney Island, and attended the R.A.F. College of Warfare at Manby in 1962, a timely appointment in light of his subsequent stint of active service in the Borneo operations, when he flew on supply drop missions with No. 209 Squadron, based at Singapore. In 1965, O’Sullivan took up Air Traffic Control duties, and was employed in that capacity at R.A.F. Little Rissington when, tragically, he took his own life on 21 February 1968, shortly after a car crash that had left him in great pain and a confused state of mind. He was 47 years old.