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Auction: 16003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 17

SOLD BY ORDER OF A DIRECT DESCENDANT

A Second War '1944' Navigator's D.F.C. Group of Five to Flying Officer G.B. Page, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Who Flew 31 Operational Sorties With 51 Squadron, R.A.F.
a) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated '1944', in Royal Mint case of issue
b) 1939-1945 Star, the reverse contemporarily engraved 'Fg. Off. G.B. Page. D.F.C. 417289 R.N.Z.A.F.'
c) Defence and War Medals, contemporarily engraved 'Fg. Off. G.B. Page. D.F.C. 417289 R.N.Z.A.F.'
d) New Zealand War Service Medal, contemporarily engraved 'Fg. Off. G.B. Page. D.F.C. 417289 R.N.Z.A.F.', generally good very fine or better, with the following related contemporary documentation:
- The recipient's Observer's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book
- A leather bound photograph album compiled by the recipient, containing 238 images, these including portrait and group photographs, photographs of training, country scenes and live bombing photographs, a fine and well complied archive
- The recipient's Commissioning document as Pilot Officer, Royal New Zealand Air Force, dated 21.8.1943, in the original card scroll of issue, this addressed to ' NZ.417289 F/Lt. G.B. Page, 40 Evelyn Terrace, Perth, Scotland'
- An annotated map of Northern Europe, inscribed in ink 'N.Z. 417289 P/O G.B. Page. R.N.Z.A.F. 51. Squadron R.A.F.', illustrating and dating the Operational Sorties in which the recipient participated
- Service records of the recipient, issued to his brother, August 1985
- A signed menu from an 'A' Flight 51 Squadron Dinner
- Five copies of the 'Tee Emm' magazine, each with amusing reverse advertisement
- Copied extracts from the recipient's diary (Lot)

D.F.C. London Gazette 27.6.1944 N.Z. 417289 Flying Officer Gordon Ballinghall Page, 51 Squadron
The Citation states: "This Officer has completed numerous operations against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty."

417289 Flying Officer Gordon Ballinghall Page, D.F.C., born at Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand, 29.2.1908; a dairy and stud cattle breeder by trade; served in the 1st Battalion Canterbury Regiment (Territorial Service), as Corporal, 1927-39; attested at Levin, New Zealand, 28.12.1941, with the rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class; embarked for Canada to complete further training, 2.3.1942; promoted Sergeant Air Navigator, 14.8.1942; Flight Sergeant, 15.5.1943 and posted to 51 Squadron at Snaithness, Scotland, 8.7.1943; involved in the Operations during the Hamburg 'Firestorm' raids in late July 1943 and at Peenemünde, 17.8.1943 (Log Book refers); commissioned Pilot Officer, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 21.8.1943; a copied excerpt from the recipient's diary, dated 5.9.1943 gives detail on one Sortie 'We are on ops tonight, usual tearing round getting read. Target is Mannheim. We took off early and got to the target, about half past eleven and dropped our bombs. From then on we ran into trouble. We got hit by flak, and then pranged by a fighter who set our starboard wing on fire. It burned for an hour and a half, and then the petrol tank blew up, and the explosion put the fire out'; another excerpt, this dated 19.11.1943 gives description of further enemy action 'Ops. again to-night. Target was Leverkusen. Things turned out rather badly. We were bang on track at the Dutch coast, but the wind changed and we wandered over Essen. We got badly caught by flak, and we had one engine hacked out and had to jettison to get clear. We stopped a lot of pieces, and had a very bad time. All of us were pretty badly shaken.'; promoted Flying Officer, 21.2.1944; completed General Navigation Instructors Course and returned to 51 Squadron, 6.5.1944; discharged 12.11.1945.

During the Second War Flying Officer Page completed the following service as Navigator:
- Anson, 113.45hrs
-Wellington I, 95.50hrs
- Halifax II, 195.20hrs
- Halifax III, 103.25hrs
- Wellington X, 12.55hrs
- Oxford, 7.25hrs
- Beaufighter, 3.10hrs
He totalled 530.30 hours, with 197 of these Operational, completing 31 sorties with 51 Squadron, 28.6.1943-21.4.1944.

Note: Family story confirms the loss of the Air Crew Europe Star in the estate.

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Sold for
£1,900