Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 12044 - The Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust Appeal Charity Auction
Lot: 13

A Fine Battle of Britain Pilot´s D.F.C. Group of Eight to ´Hurricane Ace´ Group Captain P.D. Thompson, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Who Shot Down Three Enemy Aircraft At The Height of the Battle and Added to His Score in Numerous Combats During the Siege of Malta 1941-42, Twice Being Wounded and On One Occasion Baling Out of His Blazing Aircraft From a Few Hundred Feet; Whilst Station Commander of RAF Biggin Hill 1956-58, He Was Instrumental in Establishing the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, And Flew With Johnnie Johnson and Jamie Rankin, in the Farewell Flight of the Last Three Spitfires in First Line Servicea) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ´1942´b) 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Barc) Atlantic Star, with France and Germany Bard) Africa Star, with copy North Africa 1942-43 Bare) Italy Starf) Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leafg) Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt. P.D. Thompson. R.A.F.V.R.), good very fine or better, mounted court style as originally worn, with the following related uniforms, documents, photographs, and other ephemera &c.:- D.F.C. Royal Mint case of issue, together with Central Chancery letter regarding the investiture, dated 24.2.1945- Caterpillar Club gold brooch badge, with ruby eyes, reverse engraved ´S/Ldr. P.D. Thompson´, in original card box of issue, together with the recipient´s Caterpillar Club membership card and club tie- The recipient´s two surviving Flying Log Books, covering the period 1.5.1941-21.5.1957 and 22.5.1957-30.4.1972, the first log book privately bound and annotated ´Previous Log Book destroyed in Bombing Raid on Halfar in April 1941´, the second slightly water damaged- The recipient´s Pilots´ Flying Manual- Commission Appointing Peter Douglas Thompson a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, dated 30.9.1940, together with a Commission appointing the recipient´s father a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, dated 1.11.1918- Mentioned in Despatches Certificate, dated 8.6.1944- No. 64 Squadron Crest, mounted on a wooden shield- No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron Crest, hand painted on card, with 22 accompanying signatures, together with a signed portrait photograph of the Maharaja of Mysore, dated 1942- The recipient´s full mess kit, comprising jacket with silver wire pilot´s wings, various shirts, blue and white waistcoats, trousers, and patent leather shoes- Tropical mess jacket in white, with Group Captain´s epaulettes and gold and silver wire pilot´s wings- Tropical No.1 Jacket, with Group Captain´s epaulettes, embroidered pilot´s wings, and medal ribands- Tropical working Jacket, with Group Captain´s epaulettes, embroidered pilot´s wings, and medal ribands- Three No. 1 Uniforms, complete with RAF wings, and medal ribands, all with trousers- Various Badges, Buttons, Rank insignia, Pilot´s Wings, Ribands, cummerbunds, and other dress related ephemera- The recipient´s watch, the reverse engraved ´"Tommy" 185(F) Squadron Malta 1941-42´, lacking strap and no longer in working order- Silver plated tankard, engraved ´Presented to Wg Cdr. P.D. Thompson by the Engineering Officers RAF Tengah November 1969´- Silver salver, with applied bronze crest, engraved ´Al Group Captain RAF Peter Thompson, Agregado de Defensa de Gran Bretana en el Peru, Lima, 18 de Abril 1975´- Silver cigarette box, the inside engraved ´La Asociacion de Agregados Castrenses Acreditados ante el Gobierno de Peru, Al Coronel Peter Thompson, Lima, Abril 1975- Silver gilt Peruvian winged badge, in case of issue, together with another, mounted on a shield, with a plaque inscribed ´Al Coronel RAF Peter D. Thompson Del Tnte. Gral. Fap Jorge Debernardi Leon´- Twelve souvenir pennants- A most comprehensive archive of books, letters, newspapers, magazines, maps, and journals, many relating to both the Battle of Britain and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight- Portrait drawing of the recipient by Cuthbert Orde, dated 21.1.1945- The recipient´s Photo album, with photos from both during and after the Second World War, together with a large collection of official and personal photographs, including many from his time at RAF Biggin Hill and his involvement on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (lot)

Sold for
£26,000