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Auction: 1008 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 27

An Extremely Well Documented 1943 ´Pathfinder´s´ D.F.M. Group of Five to Whitley, Halifax and Lancaster Navigator, Sergeant, Later Flight Lieutenant, S.R. Gillmar, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Having Flown 7 Operational Sorties With Coastal Command, He Went On to Fly in At Least 42 Sorties With Bomber Command, Many of Which Were Over Heavily Defended German Targets, Including to Berlin and Back Twice, Hamburg Three Times, Duisberg Four Times and Essen Six Times; After the War He Served in Canberra Jets With 80 (Photo Reconnaissance) Squadron a) Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1336894. Sgt. S.R. Gillmar. R.A.F.) b) 1939-1945 Star c) Air Crew Europe Star, with France and Germany Bar d) Defence and War Medals, very fine or better, with the following related original items: - R.A.F. Navigator´s, Air Bomber´s and Air Gunner´s Flying Log Book (covering the period 19.1.1942-8.10.1958) - Portrait photograph of recipient in uniform - Three photographs from later in Gillmar´s career - Squadron photographs of 10 Squadron, Melbourne, April 1943 and 35 Squadron, Graveley, March 1945 - The recipient´s riband Bar - Named permission to wear slip for the Path Finder Force Badge - Two large files containing recipient´s Charts, Plotting Maps and Programmes of Routes from Second War operational service and post war career - Various Newspaper cuttings and other ephemera (lot) Estimate £ 2,000-2,400 D.F.M. London Gazette 17.8.1943 1336894 Sergeant Stanley Ralph Gilimar [sic], Royal Air Force, No. 10 Squadron The Recommendation states: ´Sergeant Gillmar was posted to No. 10 Squadron in November, 1942, with seven Coastal Command sorties to his credit. Having completed 25 sorties comprising 140 operational hours with this squadron, he has now been screened and posted for instructional duty. Sergeant Gillmar throughout his operational tour has been an outstanding member of a particularly successful crew who has never failed to guide his aircraft straight to the target and back to Base. His aircraft has on several occasions been riddled by flak and had encounters with enemy aircraft twice, but never for one moment has he appeared ruffled. Although he is one of the outstanding Navigators in the squadron, he has never been known to neglect any effort which might improve his already considerable efficiency and I consider that his admirable operational record has now more than fully merited the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.´ Flight Lieutenant Stanley Ralph Gillmar, D.F.M., born 1922; enlisted as Aircraftman 2nd Class, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 9.4.1941; Sergeant 11.7.1942; qualified as a Navigator 12.7.1942; initial training postings included to: P.A.A. Navigation Section, Miami, U.S.A., 5.12.1941-20.3.1942; No. 1 (O) A.F.U., Wigton, from June 1942; No. 24 O.T.U., Honeybourne, from July 1942; in September he was posted to No. 10 O.T.U. Detachment (Whitleys), St. Eval, Coastal Command and introduced to operational service, flying in seven anti-submarine patrols, including 30.9.1942, ´Anti-Submarine Patrol. Sighted and Attacked Enemy Submarine´ (Log Book refers); after a brief stint at No. 1658 Conversion Unit Gillmar was posted for operational service with 10 Squadron (Halifaxs), Melbourne, Yorkshire, November 1942; now serving with Bomber Command he flew in at least 25 operational sorties with the squadron including: Wilhelmshaven; Nuremberg (2); Cologne; St. Nazaire (2); Berlin (2); Hamburg; Essen (4); Munich; Stuttgart; Duisberg (3); Kiel; Stettin; Bochum; Dortmund and Dusseldorf; after completing his first tour Gillmar was posted for instructional duties to No. 82 O.T.U., July 1943; commissioned Pilot Officer 7.6.1943; subsequent postings included to the Air Ministry; No. 8 (0) A.F.U., Mona and P.F.F., N.T.U. Warboys, before returning to operational flying with 35 (Madras Presidency) Squadron (Lancasters), Pathfinder Force, Graveley, February 1945; he flew in seventeen operational sorties with the squadron including: Duisberg; Essen (2); Kamen; Chemnitz; Dessau; Hamburg (2); Dortmund; Witten; Paderborn; Nordhausen; Leuna; Kiel - 9.4.1945, ´Operations - Kiel. B.S.M.: 9 x 1000LB: 1 x R/6 Stars. Admiral Scheer Sunk´ (Log Book refers); Potsdam; Schwandorf and Heligoland; he also took part in Operation Manna, when, between 29th April - 8th May 1945, Lancaster Bombers and Flying Fortresses dropped over 11,000 tons of food over occupied Holland, saving a great number of the population of the major cities from starvation - the Germans agreed not to fire upon the allied bombers for the duration of this mercy mission; Gillmar stayed with 35 Squadron until the end of September 1945; Flight Lieutenant 4.12.1952; subsequent postings included with Transport Command and H.Q. Flying Training Command, culminating in a posting to 80 (Photo Reconnaissance) Squadron (Canberra´s), Laarbruch, with whom he served June 1956 - October 1958; transferred to the Reserve of Officers, 25.3.1959.

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