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Auction: 11010 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 97

An Extremely Well Documented Family Group: A Second War Group of Four to Captain A.L. Bamford, 31 Squadron, South African Air Force, A Liberator Navigator Who Completed 39 Operational Sorties Over Austrian, Hungarian, Italian and Yugoslavian Targets, Including Night Time Supply Drops to Yugoslav Partisans 1939-1945 Star; Italy Star; War Medal; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ´10390 A.L. Bamford´, generally very fine or better Pair: Sergeant P.C. Bamford, Women´s Auxiliary Air Force War Medal; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, both officially impressed ´F262583 P.C. Bamford´, generally very fine or better, with the following original items and documents relating to both recipients: - Royal Life Saving Bronze Medallion, reverse engraved ´A.L. Bamford Mar. 1940´, in case of issue, with Award of Merit cloth badge - Two Identity Discs for A.L. Bamford; 21 items of cloth and metal S.A.A.F. insignia - Royal Air Force Sight Log Book (covering the period 14.6.1944-21.7.1944); South African Air Force Pilots Flying Log Book (covering the period 18.3.1941-15.9.1945, this well annotated by the recipient with many photographs and newspaper cuttings attached) and a Pilots Flying Log Book (covering the period 28.8.1938-27.7.1942) - Two Large Files replete with official documentation appertaining to both recipient´s enrolement and subsequent service, photographs, newspaper cuttings and comprehensive research (lot) Estimate £ 250-350 Captain Arthur Leslie Bamford (1913-1988) born Johannesburg, South Africa, the son of English born parents; employed as an Accountant with Collins & McCallagh, Johannesburg, prior to joining the South African Air Force, 25.9.1940; after initial training as a Navigator he was posted as a Second Lieutenant, Navigation Course Instructor, No. 42 Air School, Port Elizabeth, 24.11.1941; he remained in this posting until October 1943; after a Staff Navigation Course he was posted to the Mediterranean Air Force, finally arriving in Almaza airfield, Cairo, 1.6.1944; eight days later he was posted to No. 76 O.T.U. (Wellingtons), Aqir, Palestine; after a further three months training he was posted as a Navigator for operational flying with 31 Squadron S.A.A.F. (Liberators), Celone, near Foggia, Italy, 23.10.1944; he flew 39 operational sorties with the squadron, 3 of which were night supply drops to Yugoslav Partisans, 5 similar missions during the day; 4 daylight supply drops to Italian Partisans; and the remainder were bombing operations to Austrian, Hungarian, Italian and Yugoslavian targets; the latter included, 19.11.1944, ´Bombing Podgorica, HT 9,500 12x1000, Direct Hit on Bridge - Light Flak´; 22.11.1944, ´Bombing Szombathely M. Yard Ht 11,500 12x500 - chased into cloud over target by Ju 88 - 6A/C Missing´; 1812.1944, ´Bombing and ground strafing Jerry transport and troops N. of Podgorica´ (aerial photograph of attack inserted in Log Book); 8.2.1945, ´Bombing Verona Marshalling Yard 12x500lb - Good trip. Flak Light and Heavy but inaccurate but 2 holes in tail´; and 31.3.1945, ´Graz Marshalling Yard Austria 2x1,000 10x500. Good trip´; on completion of his tour of operations he was posted back to South Africa, April 1945; after several postings in an instructors capacity Bamford was released from the SAAF, 2.12.1945. F262583 Sergeant Phillis Cora Bamford, born Grahamstown, South Africa, 1922; enlisted W.A.A.F., 24.1.1941; Acting Sergeant 1.7.1943; married A.L. Bamford, 1.5.1945; discharged 6.10.1945. Both Arthur and Phillis Bamford began keen members of the Rand Glider Club after the War.

Sold for
£750