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Auction: 1005 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 24

A Scarce Second War 1940 Lysander Air Gunner´s D.F.M. Group of Five to Corporal, Later Flight Lieutenant, G.P. Watts, 13 Squadron, Royal Air Force, For Engaging, Damaging and Eventually Putting to Flight Two Me. 109 Fighters, Solely with His Lewis Gun a) Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (516020. Cpl. G.P. Watts. R.A.F.) b) 1939-1945 Star c) Air Crew Europe Star d) War Medal e) General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Malaya (Flt. Lt. G.P. Watts. R.A.F.), Second War Campaign medals engraved on the reverse in sans-serif capitals ´Flt. Lt. G.P. Watts´, ACE Star additionally and ´boyishly´ scratched ´Deputy Sheriff´ on reverse, light contact marks throughout, therefore very fine or better, with Air Gunner´s pre-war ´Winged Bullet´ badge and war time cloth Air Gunner´s badge; letter to recipient from the Ministry of Defence concerning his request for a copy of his Citation, dated 17.11.1972, and the enclosed official copy of his citation, in envelope addressed to recipient at ´45 Folkestone Road, Dover, Kent´, and a comprehensive file of research (5) Estimate £ 2,400-2,800 D.F.M. London Gazette 23.7.1940 516020 Corporal George Peter Watts, R.A.F., No. 13 Sqn. The Recommendation, dated 26.5.1940, states: ´During the period 11th to 20th May, 1940, Corporal Watts was Air Gunner with Acting Flight Lieutenant W.D. Blackwood and carried out reconnaissances daily over the enemy lines. During these reconnaissances, the aircraft in which Corporal Watts was Air Gunner was continually attacked by enemy aircraft. Corporal Watts is reported by his pilot, Act. Flt. Lt. W.D. Blackwood, to have remained cool during these attacks and to have fired accurately at the enemy aircraft and is thought to have badly damaged at least two Me.109 aircraft as his tracer bullets were seen to have been going into two enemy Me.109s. Corporal Watts has on many other occasions shown great determination as an Air Gunner and has set an excellent example in every way to the other Air Gunners in the unit.´ Flight Lieutenant George Peter Watts, D.F.M., born Ifield, Sussex, 1910; joined the Royal Air Force 1932; Corporal 1938; served with 13 Squadron (Lysanders) at the outbreak of the Second War, as part of the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force; flying out of Mons-en-Chaussée Watts acted as Air Gunner for his then pilot, Flight Lieutenant William Digby Blackwood; together they were tasked with reconnaissance missions, and it was returning from one such mission that they had an encounter with two Me. 109s (see above), ´he [Watts] was a normal squadron acquaintance, and of course somewhat of a hero, our first ´ranker´ No 13 Squadron 1940, to be decorated.... As I stated in the Air Mail I joined No 13 Squadron in Nov 39. Lysander, Army Co-operation duties, and as history says, was a phoney war, until the push started in May 1940. We served in several landing fields in Northern France, until the evacuation in June 1940. It was during this period that Pete Watts earned his decoration.... During the odd rest period, we asked about his exploit (we already knew the story second hand). When an A/G is in action in a Lysander, he is open to elements, with the old type Lewis gun, ammunition is fed from drums, which one changes by hand.... Sgt. Watts, then described with all modesty, how they were returning from a reconnaissance flight. Two Me. 109s attacked their aircraft. In addition, to directing evasive action to pilot, he was occupied fighting off enemy. He would be unarmed, during the hand changing of his ammunition drums (in view of enemy pilots because of his open cockpit). By lifting a new drum, before running out of ammo, he kidded them into false security, and caused damage to them, with cool accurate fire, when they closed in for the kill, after a bit of hedge hopping, they reached base, the 109s breaking off..´ (letter of Squadron contemporary included in the lot refers); Blackwood was awarded the D.F.C. in the same Gazette as his Air Gunner; 13 Squadron were involved during May 1940 with the tactical recce and contact patrols during the retreat to Dunkirk, and suffered heavily as a consequence; Watts was commissioned Pilot Officer, Technical Branch, 1.5.1942; advanced Flight Lieutenant 1.11.1945; retired 24.2.1959.

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£3,400