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Auction: 13003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 18

(x) The 'Immediate' 1941 Wellington Captain's D.F.C. Group of Seven to Squadron Leader, Later Wing Commander, R.P. 'Ben' Widdowson, Royal Air Force, Who Flew On One of The Epic Flights of the Second World War, A Return Trip to Munster, 7/8.7.1941, When After the Bomber Being Attacked and Set on Fire By An Enemy Fighter, His Second Pilot, Sergeant J.A. Ward, Climbed Out On To the Wing of the Flaming Aircraft and Attempted to Put Out the Fire With Only a Canvas Cockpit Cover. Ward Was Awarded New Zealand's First 'Flying' Victoria Cross.
a) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated '1941'
b) India General Service 1936-39, one clasp North West Frontier 1936-37 (F/O R.P. Widdowson. R.A.F.)
c) 1939-1945 Star
d) Air Crew Europe Star
e) Italy Star
f) Defence and War Medals, letter 'W' engraved on edge of last two, lacquered, good very fine, with a 78 LP recording the recipient's account of the V.C. action, and a number of photographs of recipient in uniform from varying stages of his career (lot)

D.F.C. London Gazette 29.7.1941 Sqn. Ldr. Reuben Pears 75 (NZ) Sqn. (34256), R.A.F. (in Joint Citation with Sgt. NZ401221 A.R.J. Box, Awarded the D.F.M.)
The Recommendation states: 'On the night of 7/8th, July, 1941, in Wellington aircraft L.7818, he was detailed to attack a target in Munster. On the return journey after a very successful bombing attack, and when over the Zuider Zee at a height of 13,000 feet, a vicious attack was made from below and ahead by an enemy aircraft identified as an M.E. 110. As it swept past, our Rear Gunner raked it with a burst of 200 rounds at a point blank range of 20-30 yards. The enemy aircraft immediately turned over, diving steeply towards the sea with its port engine on fire and emitting a trail of dense black smoke. With his aircraft damaged to a critical extent, and although he could have escaped by parachute, he nevertheless, set out on a determined attempt to reach his base. His under-carriage had dropped right down, the bomb-doors were shot wide open, the starboard engine was badly damaged and almost out of action, and a fire of considerable magnitude had broken out on the starboard wing. Showing excellent crew control and assisted by the wounded front gunner, tremendous efforts were made to subdue the fire, culminating in a gallant feat by the Pilot, Sergeant Ward, who, in an attempt to smother it climbed right out on to the wing. It was not until the English Coast was reached however, that the fire was subdued. By skilfully nursing his badly overheating engines and jettisoning all loose articles, and despite reduced speed and gradual loss of height, his magnificent flight was rewarded by a safe landing at Newmarket Aerodrome.
Since March this year, this Officer has taken part in twenty major operations, nineteen of which have been as Captain, and on one occasion in an encounter with an enemy aircraft his rear gunner was killed by a canon shell.
He has proved himself an excellent Flight-Commander and leader, and his determined efforts to reach the target under all kinds of difficulties have been and inspiration to all.'

Covering Remarks of Station Commander: 'The above recommendation speaks for itself. Sq/Ldr. Widdowson has not only been an exceptionally successful and determined Operational Captain but at the same time carried out important task of Flight Command in his Squadron. He is strongly recommend.'

Covering Remarks of Air Officer Commanding: 'In supporting the above recommendation, I would suggest that this Squadron Leader has proved himself to be possessed of outstanding powers of leadership and has obviously set such an example to his Flight that all the personnel have complete confidence in his decisions, otherwise I can hardly imagine it would have been possible for such excellent crew drill to have been displayed. I therefore submit this officer should be recommended for the Distinguished Service Order.'

Wing Commander Reuben Pears 'Ben' Widdowson, D.F.C., born Winnipeg, Canada, 1915; learned to fly at Winnipeg Flying Club, before moving to the England; joined the Royal Air Force, 1934, and appointed Acting Pilot Officer on Probation, later that year; posted to No.3 F.T.S., Grantham, 29.9.1934; posted as Pilot Officer to 2 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, Manston, September 1935; flew Wapitis in Waziristan, prior to his promotion to Flight Lieutenant, 15.4.1938; served with No. 1 O.T.U., until being posted for operational flying to 75 (New Zealand) Squadron (Wellingtons), Feltwell, Norfolk, 22.3.1941; flew in 20 operational sorties with the squadron, prior to his epic flight to Munster and back, 7/8.7.1941.

Forever Strong, 75 Squadron's History, gives the following account of the raid:
'Ten Wellingtons from the squadron set course for Germany, part of a force of 49 Wellingtons going to Munster on the night of 7/8 July. Bomber Command's main effort this night was to Cologne and Osnabruck, but 75's ten aircraft went to Munster. Squadron Leader Widdowson crewed one of them and his second pilot was Sergeant J.A. Ward from Wanganui. James Ward had only arrived at Feltwell on 22 June, the day before his 22nd birthday, a birthday he celebrated by flying on his first mission - to Dusseldorf. During the next five weeks, Ward flew on four more Ops, so that on 7 July, he was on his 6th trip.

For this raid, 'Ben' Widdowson had been allotted a new Wellington Ic, L7818, coded AA-R. The rest of the crew consisted of Sergeant L.A. Lawton, navigator; Sergeant A.J.R. Box, rear gunner; Sergeant W. Mason, WOP; and Sergeant T. Evans, front gunner. Ward, Lawton and Box were all kiwis; Widdowson, Canadian; Mason and Evans an Englishman and Welshman respectively.

They took off at 11.10pm, arriving over the target without incident, bombed, and began the trip home. Soon the Dutch coast was ahead, but suddenly their dark world erupted in a hail of cannon shells ripping through the underside of the Wimpy. The hydraulics were ruptured, causing the bomb doors to drop open, Mason's TR9 wireless set was smashed and the R/T severed. Nineteen-year-old Alan Box in the rear turret was wounded in the foot, but then saw their attacker - a twin-engined Me 110 night fighter - right in front of him as it banked away after its first pass. Without really thinking, Box opened fire on the 110 at pointblank range. His bullets smashed into the fighter, which fell away on its back, tugging a plume of smoke clearly seen in the moonlight. The 110 was seriously damaged and made an emergency landing at Texel.

However, the damage had been done. A petrol feed pipe in the starboard engine had been hit, and they were trailing a five-foot long tongue of flame back over the fabric-covered wing. Widdowson yelled to his second pilot to get everyone prepared for a bale out, adding, 'And see if you can put out that bloody fire!'

With the message passed to put on parachutes, Ward, Lawton and Mason started to rip away the fuselage fabric on the starboard side. Ward tried to use a hand-held extinguisher through the gap, but the slipstream was against all efforts. Ward then picked up one of the canvas covers used to cover the cockpit when on the ground and said without any fuss, 'Think I'll hop out with this.' He was going to climb out onto the wing and try to stuff the canvas cover into the burning hole to smother the flames!

Joe Lawton tried to dissuade him but Ward insisted on going out. He did agree though, to clip on his parachute chest-pack. Then, with a rope anchored around Lawton's chest, and tied about Ward's waist, the New Zealander went out through the astrodome and onto the top of the fuselage. He was met by the 100mph howling slipstream, but gradually edged his way down onto the wing, kicking foot holds through the fabric as he went. All the way he was hindered by the chest parachute but he continued down, then along the wing, punching hand and footholds in the fabric, towards the gaping hole beside the engine. Flames were still belching back from it.

Then, holding on with just one hand and both feet, he stuffed the canvas cover into the flaming hole until sheer pain forced him to let go. The slipstream then began to tug the cover from the hole, Ward having again to force it in. After this attempt he let go again, and seconds later the cover was whipped away into the night.

But the flames had lessened and, being unable to do more, he began to make his way back, helped by Lawton on the end of the rope. He finally made it and Lawton pulled him back through into the relative quiet of the fuselage after the howling gale outside. Widdowson headed out across the sea towards England, the fire now much less. A brief flurry of flame shot out shortly afterwards, but most of the fabric had now been burnt of torn off. Finally, at 4.30am, Widdowson put the battered Wimpy down at Newmarket without flaps or brakes, being halted by a barbed wire fence at the end of the landing run.

The Bomber was a write-off, and the damage had to be seen to be believed, as Fred Howell, an airman with 214 Squadron at Newmarket, records:

'As I recall, the aeroplane finished up in a barbed wire fence on the far side of the airfield. When my fellow airmen and I saw how badly shot up and burnt that aircraft was, we marvelled at its ability to have made it back to England. Half the rudder was shot away, much of the fabric covering had been burnt from the fuselage and wings, and the hydraulic system was in a sorry state.

The following morning, Newmarket's Commanding Officer ordered all personnel to parade. We assembled in front of the aircraft, which by this time had been towed adjacent to the main grandstand. The CO explained, to all on parade, Sergeant Ward's actions of the previous night and then informed us that from now on the aircraft was strictly out of bounds. It was eventually removed and I understand, broken up and written off. A pity it was not preserved for posterity.'

Joe Lawton was also amazed at the state of the Wellington:

'I was appalled by the damage to our aircraft and perhaps had we known of its full extent, we would have baled out after the fighter attack. It had become obvious to Ben [Widdowson] that the controls had also been badly damaged. Both lateral control and maintaining altitude were problems. It was not until the approach to land at Newmarket Heath, we found the landing flaps would not extend and the brakes did not operate. I believe we survived the landing only because of the experience and skill of Ben Widdowson. Only after the crew left the aircraft did we see the large part of the vertical stabilizer was missing and damage to the elevators was also considerable.'

Widdowson and his crew returned to Feltwell and went straight to bed.'

Ward received the V.C., Widdowson the D.F.C. (despite being recommended for the D.S.O.), and Box the D.F.M. Widdowson's crew was split up after the Munster raid and he was posted to No. 20 O.T.U., 25.9.1941; RCAF press release of May 1944, gives the following on the latter part of his career, 'Allied Bomber Base in Italy - Wing Commander Ben Widdowson, D.F.C., of 247 Borebank Street, Winnipeg, a Canadian who has been in the Royal Air Force for ten years, has taken command of one of the Wellington night bomber squadrons based here.

Immediately before taking his present post, Wing Commander Widdowson for four months represented the Allied governments as air liason officer with the bomber and transport section of the Italian air force, which is operating now in Allied interests.'

There is a British Pathé film still surviving of the entire crew being given the news of the announcement of Ward's Victoria Cross.

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Estimate
£8,000 to £10,000