A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties

Three: Warrant Officer (Air Gunner) A. W. H. Page, 103 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action when his Lancaster was shot down whilst on the Firestorm raid to Hamburg, Operation Gomorrah, on 2-3 August 1943

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure, in damaged card box of issue, with torn address label addressed to ‘...on Road, ...edon, ...19’, extremely fine (3) £280-£320

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties.

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Arthur William Horace Page was born in 1910 and served during the Second World War as an Air Gunner with 103 Squadron from June 1943, presumably, given the information contained in his obituary, on his second tour. He flew in raids against Cologne three time, the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, Turin, and three times to Hamburg on Operation Gomorrah.

Page was killed in action when Lancaster ED645, piloted by Warrant Officer J. S. Stoneman, was shot down by flak whilst on Operation Gomorrah, the Firestorm raid against Hamburg, on 2-3 August. All the crew were killed.

The Bath Evening Chronicle of 14 August 1943 carried the following obituary:
‘Warrant Officer Arthur William Horace Page, Air Gunner, R.A.F., son of Major and Mrs. A. Page of the Salvation Army of 31 Ringwood Road, Bath is reported missing on a sortie over Hamburg. He was educated at Lawrence’s College Birmingham. Before going to London, he played in the local Salvation Army band and was a bandsman and organist of the Morden Corps. In September 1940 he joined the R.A.F. and he took part in a great number of bombing operations and it was from his 42nd that he failed to return.’

Ralph is buried in Hamburg Cemetery, Germany. His medals were sent to his widow, Elsie Page, of Wimbledon, London SW19.

Sold with copied research.