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Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 398

'When nearing the target area the aircraft was attacked by a fighter. Although Sergeant Marriott manoeuvred with much skill and his gunners got in several bursts of fire, the bomber sustained severe damage before the attacker could be evaded … Sergeant Brewer also set a fine example. The windscreen of his turret had been shattered and he had been wounded in the foot. Although suffering severely from the cold and lack of oxygen he insisted on remaining in his turret, fully determined to defend his aircraft at any time on the homeward flight. He displayed outstanding fortitude.'

The joint citation for the D.F.Ms awarded to Flight Sergeant C. R. Marriott, R.N.Z.A.F., and Sergeant J. V. Brewer, R.A.F. refers; see the London Gazette 11 April 1944.

A fine Second World War immediate D.F.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant J. V. Brewer, Royal Air Force, a Lancaster Rear Gunner in No. 626 Squadron who continued to man his badly shot up turret after being wounded in the foot by a Ju. 88 night fighter

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1853148 Sgt. J. V. Brewer, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45, the first contained in a fitted leather case and the campaign awards in their addressed card forwarding box, good very fine and better (4)

D.F.M. London Gazette 11 April 1944. The original recommendation states:

'Sergeant Brewer, who was on his third operational sortie, was the Rear Gunner of a Lancaster bomber, captained by Flight Sergeant Marriott, and detailed on the night of 15-16 March 1944 to attack Stuttgart. When the aircraft was some 30 miles from the target and flying at 22,000 feet, they were attacked by a Ju. 88. As the attack commenced, Sergeant Brewer opened fire and got in a long burst but the enemy aircraft returned almost immediately for a second attack.

During these two attacks, the rear turret was very extensively damaged, in particular the power supply, so that none of the guns could be brought to bear on the enemy and further, as the Rear Gunner found that all communication between himself and the rest of the crew, either verbal or visual, had ceased. In addition the perspex of his turret was badly shattered, his oxygen and electrical supply had ceased, there was a considerable amount of smouldering oil in the rear of the aircraft and he had been wounded in the foot. The captain despatched the Flight Engineer aft to assist the Rear Gunner back to the oxygen point but Sergeant Brewer refused to leave his post. In spite of physical suffering from his wound, and the intense cold due to the oxygen and electrical failure, Sergeant Brewer remained at his post during the remainder of the flight, operating the turret manually and maintaining a sharp lookout. During this time he suffered from severe frostbite.

Sergeant Brewer showed a most praiseworthy and unconquerable spirit of determination and the fact he was there at his post maintaining a constant vigilance did much to help the morale of a very gallant crew. It is strongly recommended that the fine example of devotion to duty set by this N.C.O. merits the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.'

John Victor Brewer, a native of Horndean, Hampshire, who in civilian life worked at the Portsmouth Brewery, commenced training as an Air Gunner at R.A.F. Pembrey in October 1943. Passing out top his course, he joined No. 626 Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of R.A.F. Wickenby, in February 1944, and flew his first sortie - a strike on Schweinfurt - on the night of the 24th-25th. Having then ended the month with a trip to Augsburg, he flew two sorties to Stuttgart in March, the second of them - on the night of the 15th-16th - resulting in his foot wound, frostbite and his immediate award of the D.F.M.

On returning to duty in June 1944, he was posted to No. 101 Squadron, another Lancaster unit, and flew his first sortie - to the Foret de Ceris - on the 7th. Between then and his final operational outing on 5 September 1944, he flew a further 26 sorties, the majority of them against targets in France and Belgium and several of a daylight nature.

Brewer was released from the R.A.F. in March 1947, following a tour of duty as an Equipment Assistant in India.

Sold with the recipient's original R.A.F. Navigator's, Air Bomber's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book (Form 1717 type), covering the period October 1943 to September 1944; his R.A.F. Service and Release Book; a quantity of congratulatory letters and telegrams, including examples from "Bomber" Harris and the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, and two wartime newspaper cuttings.


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Sold for
£2,700