Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Acting Squadron Leader E. E. Woodhouse, 621 Squadron, Royal Air Force, later Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (W/O. E. E. Woodhouse (1608532). R.A.F.); Cadet Forces Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr. E. E. Woodhouse. R.A.F.V.R. (T)) mounted as worn; together with the related miniature awards, these similarly mounted, minor contact marks, very fine and better (6) £400-£500

Eric Ernest Woodhouse was born on the Isle of Wight on 12 October 1923, the son of Arthur Albert Osmond Woodhouse. Posted to No. 48 Air School and No. 1 School of General Reconnaissance at George, South Africa, he qualified as Navigator Bomber on 24 November 1944 and was sent to No. 78 O.T.U. at Ein Shemer, Palestine, on 4 February 1945. Transferred to 621 Squadron at Khormaksar, Aden, from 7 May 1945, Woodhouse had a particularly eventful flight aboard Wellington NB164 in September 1945. Memories of 621 Squadron, the recipient’s unpublished memoir takes up the story:

‘One interesting task our crew was given on 20th September was to take the British Government’s payment for facilities at Salalah to the Sultan of Oman - at Salalah. We were sealed in our aircraft at Khormaksar with a box of cash amounting to 8,000,000 rupees (£600,000 in English money) and, on arrival at Salalah, the aircraft seals were opened in the presence of the Sultan and his horsemen escorts. The Sultan - in a magnificent car - and his escort, plus a Jeep with the money crate loaded on to it from the aircraft, drove away and, only then were we allowed to leave the aircraft.’

Returned to transport duties for the remainder of the autumn, Woodhouse and his colleagues in 621 Squadron were sent Mersa Mutra on 8 November 1945 initially tasked with Air/Sea rescue operations over the Eastern Mediterranean. Converted to Warwick V aircraft, he arrived in Palestine on 10 December 1945 and was soon selected for ‘Sunburn’ Operations - the search for illegal immigrant vessels carrying Jewish refugees from Europe to Palestine. The recipient’s log book shows a large number of shadowing flights aimed at directing British destroyers towards interception. On 22 January 1946, Woodhouse conducted a leigh-light night search in foul weather but found ‘nothing suspicious’.

Six days later, Woodhouse had a close escape when ten Jewish terrorists in R.A.F. uniforms, one dressed as a Squadron Leader, another as a Warrant Officer, and the rest as airmen, drove onto the airfield at Aqir via the main guardroom gate in a stolen R.A.F. lorry and Jeep. They then calmly proceeded to enjoy a lunch at the NAAFI, and then made their way to the armoury and helped themselves to 600 Sten guns and ammunition. As they exited through the gateway, the Station attack alarms sounded:

‘Barney Millett, my skipper, and I had been watching this from the top of an air-raid shelter mound near our detachment offices where we had gone on hearing the sirens. Surprise, surprise when Barney leapt into action whilst ordering me to ‘draw your pistol and follow me!’ at the same time racing off through the perimeter gate and into the field. When we were about 150 yards from the two vehicles and, to the accompaniment of yells from Barney, all ten terrorists piled on to the Jeep and drove off, leaving the 3-tonner, with the arms, etc., behind. The terrorist party escaped, in spite of a pursuit by the Palestine Police, but all the armaments were recovered. We were later told by the Police Superintendent who came to examine the vehicle that, had they succeeded, the haul would have been the biggest ever made in the history of terrorism in Palestine. Barney and I never received any thanks for saving the loot, in fact, one senior Officer told Barney we had been ‘bloody fools’ to try to tackle them... We were much younger then!’

Returned to night flying sorties using leigh-lights, Woodhouse continued the hunt for illegal vessels in the waters between Cyprus and Palestine. Seeking respite and a good coffee in Tel-Aviv, he and his fellow aircrew soon caught the attention of the Hagana organisation after one of their number left his R.A.F. log book in a cafe:

‘It fell into Jewish hands. As well as naming all of our crew in their [Christmas] broadcast, our next-of-kin at home - in my case, my mother - were all written to [by the terrorist organisation] telling them of the fate they proposed for us if we were captured.’

The threat proved very real; on 26 February 1946, simultaneous attacks took place on dispersed aircraft at the R.A.F. Stations at Qastina, Petah Tiqvah and Lydda. Twenty aircraft were destroyed. Cuts in the wire around various airfields were booby-trapped and all the terrorist attackers escaped. Returned to ‘Sunburn’ Operations, Woodhouse spent 30 June 1946 shadowing the Akbel off the coast off southern Cyprus. On 19 October 1946 he concluded his final round-up of an ‘illegal’ ship, the Fernice, which was packed with 1,000 Jewish refugees. He subsequently returned home to England in November 1946, travelling across the Mediterranean ‘in peacetime luxury’ aboard the Union Castle Motor Vessel Dunnottar Castle.

Appointed Warrant Officer in the Royal Air Force from 23 June 1946, Woodhouse was advanced Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 28 April 1953 and ended his career as Acting Squadron Leader. Retired to Cambridgeshire, he died on 13 December 1992 and is buried at Ashey Cemetery.

Sold with the following archive:
i) The recipient’s Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period 25 May 1944 to 31 July 1961, the final entry being as a passenger in a Hastings aircraft of Coastal Command: ‘Canadian Cadets’ Tour, R.A.F. Leuchars - R.A.F. Aldergrove (N.I.)’.
ii) A second record of flights compiled by the recipient in a notebook, a replacement if the original Log Book was lost or destroyed, 25 May 1944 to 31 August 1946, a few pages separate;
iii) Royal Air Force Sight Log Book
iv) “Down Memory Lane”, a typed accounts of the recipient’s career and experiences in Palestine
v) “Mog, Sunburn and Bobcats”, a typed account of sorties and terrorist activities
vi) A fine photo album containing over 110 photographs of the recipient in Palestine, including photographs in R.A.F. uniform, aircraft, famous sites and sports fixtures; a large number of loose photographs taken by Woodhouse, including many images of ships attempting to get through the Palestine blockade
vii) Record Office correspondence regarding the issue of the GSM, clasp Palestine 1945-48, dated 12 August 1952
viii) The recipient’s Royal Air Force Navigation Warrant Certificate, dated 31 December 1946
ix) The recipient’s Royal Air Force Warrant Document, dated 23 June 1946
x) The recipient’s Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Commission Document, dated 28 April 1953
xi) 10 wooden shield plaques relating to various R.A.F. Squadrons.
xii) The recipient’s officer’s service cap
xiii) Various Dinner menus, letters, and other ephemera.