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Auction: 18003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 518

'On the departure of H.M.S. Triumph from the command of the Naval Forces Far East, I take pleasure in saying to the captain, the officers the flying personnel and the crew of this splendid fighting ship - WELL DONE. Your enthusiastic and effective efforts have contributed immeasurably to the United Nations cause in Korea.'

A message from Admiral Joy, the American Commander Naval Forces Far East, refers.

A rare Second World War and post-war operations Fleet Air Arm pilot's campaign group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Commander (A.) B. C. Lyons, Royal Navy

Among other career highlights, it was Lyons who led the Fleet Air Arm's very first strike in the Korea War. Taking-off from the carrier H.M.S. Triumph - at dawn on 3 July 1950 - he led No. 827's Fireflies in a rocket attack against Haeju airfield in North Korea: in so doing, he set in motion the commencement of continuous action by Firefly units for the duration of the war

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star, clasp, Pacific; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Lt. Cdr. B. C. Lyons, R.N.); Korea 1950-53 (Lt. Cdr. B. C. Lyons, R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, mounted court-style as worn, together with embroidered 827 (F.A.A.) Squadron uniform patch, lacquered, very fine or better (8)


Bernard Campbell 'Ben' Lyons, the second son of Dr. W. Campbell Lyons, the Medical Officer of Health for South Shields, entered the Fleet Air Arm at the beginning of the Second World War, qualified as a pilot and was advanced to Lieutenant (A.) in August 1941. He subsequently witnessed active service in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres and ended the war with an appointment in 1790 (F.A.A.) Squadron aboard the carrier H.M.S. Implacable in the Far East.

Advanced to Lieutenant-Commander (A.) in August 1949, Lyons took command of No. 827 Squadron at R.A.F. Sembawang, Singapore at the end of the year. He quickly saw action in the unit's fireflies over Malaya, participating in an attack on a bandit camp north-east of Kluang on 19 December 1949. Further sorties were to follow, among them a strike against bandits at Yong Peng.

Korea - leading the way

Lyons was serving at Hong Kong on the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. Embarked in the carrier H.M.S. Triumph, again as C.O. of No. 827 Squadron, he led the Fleet Air Arm's very first operational sortie, a strike in the unit's Fireflies on Haeju airfield in North Korea on 3 July 1950.

In a related article in FlyPast magazine in September 2016 - 'Another War' - Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork describes the part played by the Fleet Air Arm in Korea and, more particularly, the role played by the Firefly FR. 1:

'When thousands of North Korean troops swarmed across the border and into South Korea on June 25, 1950, the light fleet carrier H.M.S. Triumph of the British Eastern Fleet was in the area. It arrived off the west coast of Korea on July 2 where it joined Task Force 77 under Rear Admiral Hoskins of the U.S. Navy.

Embarked on Triumph were two squadrons: 800 with Supermarine Seafire FR.47s and the Firefly equipped 827. Led by Lt. Cdr. B. C. Lyons, 827 Squadron was the last operational Fleet Air Arm unit to be equipped with Firefly FR.1s.

Five years earlier, in waters not far from where Triumph was cruising, Fireflies had fought the Japanese. Now 827's complement of a dozen ageing FR.1s were preparing for the type's
second major war.

At dawn on July 3, 1950, all 12 Fireflies of 827 Squadron, led by the C.O., flew the Fleet Air Arm's first Korean theatre operation when they attacked hangars and installations on Haeju airfield in North Korea with rocket projectiles (RPs). This heralded the beginning of continuous action by Firefly units on a rotational basis throughout the three-year war.

The Firefly's primary task was to support the land forces with a mix of bombs and R.P.s up to a maximum of 2,000lb (907kg) plus four 20mm cannon in the wings. Sorties were flown at intensive rates, sometimes reaching 120 a day, often in harsh weather conditions. Targets were classed as interdiction sorties when railways, rolling stock, river traffic and shipping were attacked. Stores, fuel and ammunition dumps also received attention from the Fireflies.

The versatility of the type was frequently demonstrated when they were also tasked for close support operations hitting troop positions and armour. Additionally, Fireflies provided gun direction for naval forces engaged in shore bombardment. For such sorties they were fitted with non-jettisonable 45 gallon (204 lit) wing tanks giving two hours over the target area, greatly reducing the number of aircraft required to maintain continuous cover … '

Lyons's operational tour in the Triumph lasted from July-October 1950, a period in which his log book attests to numerous sorties, very much as described by Graham Pitchfork. Thus assorted land targets, in addition to enemy shipping, and valuable support lent during the U.S. Marines' landing at Inchon in mid-September; the recipient's Flying Log Books are held by the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

Following his operational tour as C.O. of 827 Squadron, Lyons transferred to the repair carrier Unicorn.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation and artefacts, including:

(i)
A quantity of career photographs, including aircraft and personnel, and a large format squadron 'line-up' in scroll box; together with copied pages from the recipient's Flying Log Book and copies of 1790 Squadron's newsletter (4); these contain references to the recipient as late as 2003.

(ii)
A tankard fashioned from an 18-pounder shell, dated 1940, with Kangeroo handle, the front engraved, 'Lieut. Commander (A.) B. C. Lyons, R.N., No. 1790 Squadron, H.M.S. Implacable, 1945-46'.

(iii)
An original wartime cartoon portrait, full length, signed and dated 1945, framed and glazed, together with a hand-painted 827 Squadron crest, mounted on Perspex.


Please see Lot 783 for the recipient's miniature dress medals.


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Sold for
£1,100