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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 1052

A good campaign group of five awarded to Wing Commander A. H. Donaldson, Royal Air Force, who flew a multitude of missions in Sunderlands of No. 205 and 88 Squadrons during the "Firedog" operations in Malaya and off the coasts of Korea - he also notably effected the dramatic Air Sea Rescue of the stricken M.V. Joseph S., saving the lives of 23 of her crew in December 1950

Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya (3012345 Plt. II. A. H. Donaldson. R.A.F.); Korea 1950-53 (Fg. Off. A. H. Donaldson. R.A.F.); U.N. Korea 1950-43, mounted as worn, very fine (5)

Alex H. Donaldson first took to the skies with the Royal Air Force in a Tiger Moth at No. 4 EFTS in March 1945, completing further training at RAF Booker in July 1947. Having moved onto fly Harvards, he took further training at No. 6 FTS, Tern Hill in 1948 and at 235 OCU, before joining No. 205 Squadron at Koggala, Ceylon and flying their Sunderlands. An All-Weather Flying Course at Tengah, Singapore in July 1949 prepared him for his first operational posting when the Squadron moved to Seletar in September that year to participate in the Malaya operations. Having taken part in a Naval exercise in co-operation with H.M.S. Triumph on 2 October, he completed an Air Sea Rescue search for two P51's that had crashed in the Sumatran Jungle on 14 October with no luck.

Firedog

The "Firedog" operations heralded a new dawn for the Royal Air Force, working in collaboration with the other Forces to pinpoint and attack enemy. An entry on 20 October followed:

'Close support Op. with Army. Bombing & Strafing bandits. N.W. Malaya.'

A newspaper cataloguing entitled 'He Captains Jungle Aircraft' gives a fine insight:

'Due home in the next few weeks is a young Widnes man who is serving in the RAF with a Far East Flying Boat Squadron based at Seletar, Singapore, and equipped with Sunderlands, which is actively engaged in operations against the Malayan bandits.

He is 24-years-old Pilot III Alex H. Donaldson, only child of Mr and Mrs T. H. Donaldson, of 6 Hall Avenue, Hough Green.

Pilot III Donaldson was educated at Simms Cross School, and Gilmore Secondary School, Liverpool and before joining the RAF in 1944 was a Sergeant in the Widnes ATC.

The Air Ministry News Service states that Pilot Donaldson sometimes Captains the aircraft during the Malayan operations, which are in support of Security forces operating in the jungle. With the aid of other RAF Squadrons, the Sunderlands blast pre-selected areas with 500lb and 20lb fragmentation bombs, driving the bandits into the hands of the troops and police surrounding area.

In addition to this task the Sunderlands are used for Air Sea Rescue duties, and co-operate with the Navy in exercised in the Bay of Bengal and South China Sea.

Pilot Donaldson was posted to the Squadron while it was at Koggalla in Ceylon during 1948. When it transferred to Singapore late last year he was the second pilot of one of the aircraft that carried the ground crews and equipment. He does an average of between 40 and 50 flying hours a month.'

Donaldson appears to have flown on around 30 'Firedog' missions besides two on Operation 'Thor' in January 1950 in which 25 bandits were killed by a patrol of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles in the Yong Peng area of Johore. Donaldson assisted ably with 280 x 20lb bombs dropped on 17 January and a further 250 x 20lb bombs on 23 January.

Joining No. 88 Squadron in December 1950, he also flew in a number of memorable Air Sea Rescues, including that on 7 December after distress signals had come from the M.V. Joseph S. that began to take in water rapidly. Having alighted alongside the vessel twice, Donaldson and Flight Lieutenant Hunter effected the rescue of the crew of 23.

On 15 January 1951 whilst on an anti-submarine patrol in the Japan sea, he also shared in the saving of a United States Naval Corsair pilot who had ditched east of Wonsan.

Having flown his final 'Firedog' mission on 16 October 1952, Donaldson retired on 4 January 1954 with a total of 2329.55hrs flying on his Log Books. He flew 44 operations in Malaya, 46 in Korea and took part in 14 Air Sea Rescues. Re-joining the service as a Corporal Radar Operator on 10 Ocotber 1955, he flew for the final time on 9 September 1977 in Meteor WA669, target towing for Hunters, with a final Grand Total of 2367.45hrs flying; sold together with the recipient's two Pilots Flying Log Books Form 414, with a few newspaper cuttings tipped in and photographs of the aircraft he flew.

Some fine footage of a Sunderland in action can be accessed via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySczmKPLGOo

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Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£500