Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A well-documented Second War Spitfire pilot’s ‘POW’ group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant F. K. Thornton, 602 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was shot down and taken prisoner of war, 7 August 1941. He was imprisoned at Szubin and Sagan - the famous Stalag Luft III - before taking part in the ‘Long March’ in January 1945

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, traces of verdigris; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Flt. Lt. F. K. Thornton. R.A.F.V.R.) mounted for wear, generally very fine (4) £500-£700

Frank Kenneth Thornton initially served during the Second War a Sergeant in the Royal Air Force. After undertaking pilot training at the Advanced Training Squadron, Cranage in September 1940, and subsequent training at No. 57 O.T.U., he was posted as Pilot Officer for operational flying to 602 Squadron (Spitfires) Prestwick, 5 January 1941.

Thornton moved with the Squadron to Kenley, and on 7 August 1941:

‘Squadron took off to rendezvous at Manston with 6 Blenheims to bomb St. Omer aerodrome. Sgt. Thorne shot down one ME.109 and Sgt. Garden got one ‘probable’. P/O Thornton did not return. No one saw him engaged, but there was an unconfirmed rumour of him being seen flying back low over the channel. About 17.00 hrs. he was given up as ‘missing’ (Squadrons’ Operations Record Book refers).

Three weeks later word was received from the International Red Cross that Thornton had been taken prisoner of war by the Germans. He was imprisoned at the camps at Szubin and Sagan - the latter being the famous Stalag Luft III. Thornton led the orchestra at Sagan, was involved in various theatrical performances and also taught German. He recorded the following in his diary for 25 November 1944:

‘In one month it will be Christmas - for me the 4th one in Germany - I remind myself that I said, shortly after I was shot down, I can stand the first winter easily but the second will be worse. At that time I was very confident that the war would be over in 1942. Since then every year the same expression - Home by Christmas.’

Thornton followed this up with the following, 1 December 1944:

‘I am currently occupied in making a pair of gloves from my boots. The boots have an interesting story. I got them from an NCO who left the Squadron before I could pay him for them. When I was shot down and jumped from aircraft the boots were torn from my feet by the force of the wind and fell to earth. As a result I landed without them - uninjured. The boots were found by some Germans and returned to me.’ (Ibid)

Thornton took part in the ‘Long March’ during January 1945, and was eventually repatriated to the UK later that year. He advanced to Flight Lieutenant, and was awarded the Air Efficiency Award in January 1946.

Sold with recipient’s Y.M.C.A. Wartime Log for British Prisoners - pencil notes in English and German, with a number of annotated photographs of recipient and theatrical performances at Szubin and Sagan in 1943, the occasional sketch, and a diary section kept in German (also with a later hand-written translation), 10 September 1944 - 31 January 1945; remnants of recipient’s German P.O.W. papers, with photograph.