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Auction: 18001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 45

A fine Second World War Burma front ace's D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Squadron Leader J. N. 'Banger' Yates, Royal Air Force, who claimed a spate of victories in Hurricanes and Spitfires of No. 607 Squadron in the period December 1942 to February 1944

On one occasion his Hurricane 'was badly shot up and himself wounded' but he accounted for one enemy aircraft before making a successful forced-landing back at Chittagong

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1944'; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R., M.I.D. oak leaf (Flt. Lt. J. N. Yates, R.A.F.), edge bruise to the last, generally good very fine (7)



D.F.C. London Gazette 28 March 1944:

'This officer has completed a large number of sorties, many of them in the Far East. Throughout these operations he had displayed a high degree of skill and courage, setting a very fine example. On one occasion Flying Officer Yates was wounded and his aircraft sustained severe damage but he flew on to an airfield and effected a safe landing. During an operation in February 1944, he engaged 12 enemy fighters. Flying Officer Yates fought with great skill, however, and destroyed one of the enemy aircraft and afterwards led his section safely to base. This officer has destroyed five enemy aircraft.'

Jack Neville 'Banger' Yates, who was born on 4 April 1921, qualified as a Sergeant Pilot soon after the outbreak of hostilities. His Atlantic Star would suggest early service in a Coastal Command; an Air Ministry press statement of March 1944 refers to sorties flown over Occupied France; copy included.

By March 1942 he was serving on the strength of No. 607 Squadron, the same month in which the unit was embarked for India to join No. 166 Wing at Alipore. It was in this capacity that Yates first saw action as a Hurricane pilot over Burma, not least in a protracted combat over Magwe airfield on 24 December 1942, when he destroyed an Oscar I, took a half-share in another and damaged a third.

On 2 March 1943, the action in which he was wounded in the arm and carried out a forced-landing at Chittagong, he was credited with another Oscar I, in addition to damaging another.

Commissioned Pilot Officer in August 1943, and following 607's conversion to Spitfires, Yates added to his score on 15 January 1944, when he damaged an Oscar II over Maungdaw-Buthidaung; five days later he claimed a confirmed Oscar II in a combat over Tabawchaung.

Finally, in February, he damaged another on the 9th and shot down a 'Zeke' on the 22nd. Following the latter engagement over Akyab aerodrome, where he was met by curtains of flak, he was pursued by several Oscars for 30 miles but he outwitted them and returned safely to base.

He was awarded the D.F.C.

Following his operational tour with 607 Squadron, Yates was posted to 151 O.T.U. at Peshawar, where he trained pilots of the Royal Indian Air Force. He afterwards returned to operational flying, presumably in the North-West Europe operations of 1945.

Having then attained the substantive rank of Flight Lieutenant in the R.A.F. in February 1947, Yates went on to add a mention in despatches to his accolades for 'distinguished service in Malaya' (London Gazette 16 March 1951, refers). He was placed on the Retired List as a Squadron Leader in August 1965; sold with copied research.

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Sold for
£3,000