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Auction: 22002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 108

(x) Four: Flight Sergeant A. Campbell, Royal Air Force, who was killed whilst flying with No. 53 Squadron, Coastal Command, when his liberator was shot down by gunfire from U-763 on 4 February 1944

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, in their named card box of issue to 'Mrs E. J. Campbell, 9, Avenue, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxon.', together with his named Scroll with its named postage envelope, good very fine (4)

Alan Campbell qualified as a Wireless Operator on 18 September 1940 and flew a complete tour with No. 48 Squadron of Coastal Command from December 1940-May 1942. Besides convoy escorts, he also flew many missions against targets in Norway. An attack on a U-Boat is recorded in the log book on 25 September 1941. On 15 February 1942, his aircraft sank a German cargo ship in the Vevring fjord. A few months later, he searched for the German battlecruiser Admiral Hipper on 6 May 1942 and an attack on the German battlecruiser Prinz Eugen, on its way from Trondheim to Kiel after being torpedoed, in February. They attacked but were unable to score a hit and found themselves chased by two Me109's.

Completing his tour in May 1942, he engaged in training until returning to operations a year later, in May 1943. Flying anti-submarine patrols in Liberators with No. 53 Squadron, he recorded the following on 7 July 1943:

'2 U-boats sighted, 1 attacked and destroyed.'

Campbell continued with No. 53 Squadron and was with them when they moved to St Eval on 3 January 1944. He was killed in action on 4 February 1944, when his Liberator BZ795/F was shot down as it prepared to attack U-763, which was commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ernst Cordes. They had put in a strong attack and scored hits with the machine-gun on the conning tower but as they were making a second run, they were hit, the aircraft exploding as it hit the water just after 0800hrs. There were no survivors. Campbell had flown no less than 87 Ops.

Sold together with his Flying Log Book, together with named forwarding slip and letter from his CO regarding his death.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£700

Starting price
£380