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Auction: 1006 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 16

A Fine Immediate ´Battle of Britain´ D.F.C. Group of Six to Squadron Leader B.V. ´Ben´ Draper, 74 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Veteran of the Battle of Dunkirk, Accredited with Two Damaged During the 1st Day of the Battle of Britain, 10.7.1940; He Went on to Claim Three Victories in One Combat, 14.11.1940; Draper Later Flew Mosquitos and Whilst Enroute to A Japanese Target His Aircraft Was Seen to ´Break Up in Mid Air´ at 4,000 Feet Over Burma, Killing Both Pilot and Bomb Aimer, 28.2.1945 a) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ´1940´, and additionally privately engraved ´B.V. Draper 74 (F) Squadron´, in Royal Mint case of issue b) 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Bar c) Air Crew Europe Star d) Burma Star f) Defence and War Medals, extremely fine, with the following original related items and documents: - Two R.A.F cloth ´Wings´ - Two Pilot´s Flying Log Books, covering the period 6.5.1938-28.2.1945, both stamped ´Death Presumed´ - Parchment Memorial Scroll, with enclosure slip - Condolence slip addressed to ´Mrs. B.V. Draper´ - Two Photographs of recipient in uniform - Battle of Britain Commemorative Album and The Battle of Britain August-October 1940, An Air Ministry Account (lot) Estimate £ 18,000-22,000 D.F.C. London Gazette 24.12.1940 Pilot Officer Bryan Vincent Draper (76309), Royal Air Volunteer Reserve, No. 74 Squadron. The Recommendation states: ´P/O Draper has been serving with his squadron since 10.12.1939 and has taken part in many offensive patrols. He has been credited with having destroyed 7 enemy aircraft, and to have probably destroyed a further three. He has always displayed a great skill and determination as a Fighter Pilot.´ Squadron Leader Bryan Vincent Draper, D.F.C., born Barry, South Wales, 1916; joined Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, April 1938, and undertook training at No. 15 E. & R. F.T.S. Redhill and No. 6 F.T.S., R.A.F. Little Rissington, gaining his ´Wings´ in October 1939; commissioned Pilot Officer, 10.12.1939, and arrived at No. 11 (F) Group Pool, St. Athan, eighteen days later; after converting to Spitfires he was posted to 74 Squadron, (Spitfires), Hornchurch, 14.2.1940. Battle of Dunkirk On the 20th May the squadron began operational flying over France this coincided with the battle for and the evacuation of Dunkirk, and within a week the squadron had lost 5 pilots; Draper, however, was up and running in his Spitfire, 23.5.1940, ´Offensive Patrol. 1 He III 30 miles inland from Dunkirk´ (Log Book refers), the combat report provides more details of the shared aircraft ´I was Blue 4, No 74 Squadron, on offensive patrol over Calais. E/a was observed by Red Leader at 3,000 feet..... Our height was then 1,000 feet. E/a climbed up to broken cloud.... Blue Section closed ranged as E/a dived through clouds to avoid Red Section. By the time I could close range E/a´s port engine was on fire.... I fired a three second burst into fuselage and broke away.... When I next saw E/a he was crashing into a field. E/a had black crosses in white background on wings but I was unable to see crosses on fuselage´; four days later on another offensive patrol, ´1 DO. 17. 10 miles inland from Dunkirk´; the combat report gives the following, ´Red 2 and myself attacked a Heinkel which was lagging behind the others and Red 2 went in first to deliver his attack. When he broke away the port engine of E/a was smoking. I then attacked and fired one burst into the fuselage at about 250 yards followed by a burst in each engine. The rear gunner stopped firing and both engines were smoking badly and the E/a started losing the formation and dropping height.... E/a not seen to crash as AA fire and cross fire from Heinkels very severe. Position last seen three miles of S.E. of St. Omer´. Battle of Britain - First Day Success The following month the squadron re-grouped and was heavily engaged during the Battle of Britain, indeed on the 10th July (the first day of the Battle) Draper damaged an Me. 109 in the morning and a Do. 17 in the afternoon, ´I was Yellow 2 on patrol over Deal and Dover and received orders to intercept a raid off Margate. Red and Blue Sections took off from Manston at 1037hrs and enemy aircraft were sighted at 1100hrs and a dogfight ensued. One enemy aircraft positioned himself on Yellow Leader´s tail and I opened fire on this E/a from 300 yards from slightly above and behind and put four bursts of one second into him. I could see the bursts going into enemy aircraft around the engine and cockpit but had to exercise care so as not to hit Yellow Leader. The enemy aircraft started diving vertically with white trail of steam or smoke following him but I was unable to follow him down as by that time there were several other enemy aircraft to be attacked. I then saw an enemy aircraft below and coming towards me. I dived to attack but by the time I was in position for a deflection attack I was in an over the vertical dive. I fired three short bursts at him and then had to break away in order to avoid collision. Having climbed up again the enemy were just breaking off the fight so after firing one very short burst at the straggler..... I returned to base and landed´ (combat report refers); during the afternoon combat the squadron met with an enemy formation of over 100 aircraft, Draper was hard pressed, ´I was Yellow 2 in A Flight 74 Squadron guarding a convoy 5 miles off Dover when it was attacked by enemy bombers escorted by two layers of fighters ranging in height from 4,000 feet to 12,000 feet. I, in company with Yellow 3, climbed above the top layer of fighters which were Me. 109s. We then split and each attacked an enemy aircraft. I fired a short burst at 30% deflection into one enemy aircraft which promptly half-rolled and dived. I then found I was surrounded and so climbed into cloud at 14,000 feet and altered course. When I came down I found myself over an enemy aircraft at which I fired a burst from above. The other fighters again wheeled to attack me so I once again climbed into the clouds. When I again came below the cloud I found myself in a favourable position to make a diving attack on the Dornier 17s. I came down in a 60 degree dive and put a three or four second burst into one bomber which emitted smoke from the starboard engine and then climbed steeply again to avoid the fighters. When I again looked down I saw three parachutists descending towards the sea which I took to be the crew of the Do. 17. I again dived and put another burst into another Dornier.... and again climbed above the top layer of fighters. I then returned to our coast firing one diving burst at an Me. 109 on the way. By this time the fighter was going towards the French coast so, as I only had 15 gallons of petrol left and only a little ammunition, I returned to base and landed, finding most of my Flight already on the aerodrome.´ September-October 1940 On the 14th September whilst on patrol, Draper spotted and engaged a Me. 110, this proved inconclusive, however 20 minutes later he was to get his victory, ´At 1405 while doing a wide sweep to port I sighted a Ju 88 emerging from cloud almost below me. I half-rolled and fired at it from behind and above and then fired another burst into the starboard motor from almost line astern. E/a answered the fire from the top rear turret but at my second burst the starboard wing dropped and E/a spiralled into a dense cloud to starboard´; on 29.9.1940, ´Patrol. 1 Ju 88. Found him over the sea & shot the living Jesus out of him´ (Log Book refers); October saw the squadron move to Biggin Hill, and with it Draper´s success continued when on the 17th he shot down a Bf109 and bagged another probable, ´I was Yellow 3 when 74 Squadron intercepted about 60 Me. 109s in the vicinity of Maidstone-Gravesend area at 26,000 feet. In the first encounter a Me 109 crossed my sights at about 200 yards range.... I fired a three second burst which hit him in the engine and a cloud of mixed black and white smoke streamed back.... I then saw seven Me 109s flying in line astern southwards and getting into position behind and slightly above the rearmost one I shot him down in flames before he realised my presence..... I tried south again I spotted about twelve Me 109s proceeding towards the coast below and in front of me. I tried to repeat my previous tactics but they saw me before I could attack and turned to attack me. As I was at their height and alone I sprayed one quick burst at the front two which swerved to starboard and enabled me to break off combat´; the confirmed aircraft crashed landed at Manston and its pilot Oblt. Walter Rupp was taken POW; on the 20th Draper engaged with over 30 enemy aircraft in the vicinity of south London, ´1 Me. 109 10m. S.W. Margate But Shot Down 4 Miles West of Sevenoaks By Another Blasted 109. He Shot Away My Oil Rad. Holes in Engine & Stbd. Elevator. The Bastard.´ (Log Book refers); Draper´s aircraft was a write off; in a new Spitfire Draper was in action again 24.10.1940, ´1 Me 109 in dogfight over Canterbury.´ Three Bagged in One Day In November the squadron destroyed 26 enemy aircraft, Draper´s first contribution to that tally was 11.11.1940, ´1 Me 109 in sea off Littlehampton´, but perhaps the pinnacle of his flying career occurred on the 14th, when he accounted for 3 Ju 87s destroyed and 1 damaged in the course of one day, ´I was Yellow 1 when we were ordered to intercept a formation of 50-80 E/a over Deal at 15,000 feet. I got onto one Ju 87´s tail and gave him a short deflection burst after which pieces fell from his port wing root and engine cowlings and I left him going down almost vertically..... I then attacked another ´87 which burst into flames after a two second burst. I then saw a Me 109 at which I fired a short burst which damaged him slightly but he disappeared into cloud.... I then attacked a third Ju 87 which I saw crash into the sea after two or three second burst´; the following day he claimed what was to be his last victory of the War, a Bf 109, over the Littlehampton area; in December he was gazetted for his D.F.C. and posted to C.F.S. Upavon for an instructor´s course; he then went on to instruct at R.A.F. College (F.T.S.) Cranwell and was posted out in a similar capacity to Canada - the latter greeted with ´Canada Blast It!!´ in Draper´s Log Book; Flight Lieutenant 10.3.1942; returned to England in December 1943, and undertook a conversion course in Mosquitos, after which he was posted to India to join 45 Squadron, January 1945; joined up with his new squadron at Kumbhirram, 19th February, where he was tasked with flying ground attack missions against the Japanese in support of the Burma campaign; on the 28th whilst flying Mosquito, HR457 enroute to a target, ´2 miles South of Sedan... 0605hrs. 28.2.45 Shallow glide bombing attack of reported Jap concentration at Omneye. Aircraft seen to break up in mid air - plane seen to crash and no one seen to bale out´; Draper and his bomb aimer W/O James were both killed; tragically for Draper this was three weeks after the birth of his son; Squadron Leader Draper was buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery, Rangoon.

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