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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 311

'He was a self-effacing and modest man, held in high esteem by his crew because he never lorded over them or raised his voice to them.

He regarded himself as being very lucky, not only because he was able to fly aeroplanes, which he loved doing, but because he survived the War.'

The family of Group Captain Casement.

The superb 1942 D.S.O., 1941 D.F.C. and 1942 Second Award Bar, 1951 A.F.C. group of eight awarded to Group Captain P. R. Casement, Royal Air Force

A gallant veteran of no less than three Tours and 81 Ops during the Second World War, Casement cut his teeth with No. 61 Squadron and kept a notable personal diary of each and every one of his Ops in this period; by the time of his twenty-first birthday, he flew on his 28th Op, sharing in Operation Millennium, the first of the 'Thousand-Bomber Raids' on Cologne, 30-31 May 1942

Casement went onto have a prominent position in Coastal Command Operations and shared in sinking U-751 in July 1942: putting in a determined attack, he managed to capture images of the moment he raked the stricken submarine before she sank to the depths

Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1942', with top riband bar; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1941', with Second Award Bar, the reverse officially dated '1942'; Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1951'; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, copy clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 3 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya, Cyprus (Sqn. Ldr. P. R. Casement. R.A.F.), clasps loose upon riband, mounted as worn, good very fine (8)

D.S.O. London Gazette 29 December 1942.

D.F.C. London Gazette 24 October 1941.

Second Award Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 1 September 1942:

'Flight Lieutenant Casement is an outstanding captain and pilot. He has completed numerous operational missions, during which he has attacked highly important industrial targets in Germany; he has also completed several patrols over the Atlantic and has assisted in the destruction of a U-boat. Throughout his operational career, this officer has displayed great efficiency and devotion to duty which have proved a source of encouragement to his fellow Captains.'

A.F.C. London Gazette 7 June 1951.

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1945.

Peter Reginald Casement was born at Ballycastle, County Antrim on 22 May 1921 and was educated at Wellington College. Joining the Royal Air Force, his first flight was at No. 9 EFTS at Ansty on 31 October 1939 in a Tiger Moth, his first solo coming on 14 November after a little under 12hrs on his Flying Log Books. Going up to Cranwell, Casement thence went onto 14 OTU Cottesmore in September 1940, having been made Pilot Officer on Probation in July 1940. Joining No. 61 Squadron at Hemswell in January 1941, it would be a long and fruitful relationship with 'Hull's Own' who had The Lincoln Imp as their mascot.

Young Casement flew his first Op, targeting the Main Railway Terminal at Wilhemshaven on 9 February 1941, being the Navigator on that mission. Thankfully they came over their target with 10/10 cloud and dropped their 4x500lb bombs and 2 incendiaries from Hampden P2144. The month continued with trips to Homberg and Dusseldorf.

Casement had notched up 7 Ops by his 20th birthday and flew as Pilot on three Ops on 9 (Gardening - Borkum), 11 (Bremen) and 17 (Cologne) May. Details of each of his hair-raising trips to the continent are additionally recorded in his unusual personal diary which gives good insight and detail to the experiences of his crews. His 29th Op, on 7 September 1941, took him to Berlin - 'The Big City' - for the first time. He dropped 1x 1000lb and 2x 250lb bombs, and captured a useful image of the Eastern Railway Station also. His diary recalls:

'I think this was the hottest trip we have had. Took off at 2040 in dusk and climbed straight away on track at 10,000' at which height we flew to Danish coast about 20 miles north of track after having passed over Ameland and, after getting course, over Heligoland! En route to the target from coast we were only bothered slightly by the Kiel Canal searchlight belt.

Flew in at 12,000' and after passing over Lubeck a few miles north of track I climbed to 16,000' and held this quite comfortably (except for cold - we had light load) until after Bombing - We bombed the Lichtenburg Rly Stn according to our photograph which came out well.

We were only slightly bothered by flak & searchlight going in but coming out the s/lgts held us often and several fighters were seen.

We passed over Lubeck again on way out, and this time, at 10,000' it wasn't so funny. We were plastered and I had to lose h[eigh]t to go out fast at about 6,000' - I was a bit worried about Petrol so this was bad. The courses were not so hot as I map read to east and again after a few really hot moments when we were held over the Kiel Canal at 9000-7000', and again plastered by really accurate stuff.

We crossed coast, in a thunderstorm, on track and I flew back at 2,000'. About 50 galls per engine left after landing in half light at 0530 - very misty. Crossed English Coast on track though I was flying 5 degrees to South of course given. Most surprisingly a successful trip. [Date written] 8.50.'

His 32nd Op came on 11 September 1941, flying on Rostock. Casement had flown 27 Ops as Captain. How many twenty year olds had that much action to their name.

Sent up to several OTU's, he went to No. 144 Squadron at North Luffenham in April 1942 and then went on a Lancaster conversion course, re-joining No. 61 Squadron just in time for his 21st birthday. His Second Tour began by flying on Operation Millennium, the first Thousand Bomber Raid on Cologne, 30-31 May 1942. His Log Book noted:

'Large fuss all over Target. 0015-0445hrs over 1,000 a/c on Target.'

Casement was Pilot of Lancaster R5613B on that night and went in with a series of further Ops in the coming weeks. The 10th Op of his second Tour was on Wilhelmshaven on 8 July.

Attached to Coastal Command at RAF St. Eval in mid-July, Casement shared in the 'kill' of U-751 on 17 July. She had accounted for the carrier Audacity in December 1941, when Kapitänleutnant Gerhard Bigalk hit her in the engine room and she began to settle by the stern. The next two torpedoes caused an explosion of aviation fuel which blew off her bow. Audacity sank in 70 minutes with a loss of 73 of her crew. Together with Flight-Sergeant Hunt, Casement went in with his attack in the Bay of Biscay and delivered depth charges, before making several low runs in Lancaster R5724F to '...spray the decks' with gunfire. The images that he captured whilst the attack went in were published in the national press and gained him great praise.

Returned to Syerston, he brought up the a remarkable 50th Op with a raid on the Focke-Wold Works at Bremen on 4 September 1942. He closed out his second Tour, his 54th Op in total, on 16 September, making for Essen. Having gone for a well-earned period of training and rest, Casement went off to join No. 120 Squadron at Reykjavik in November 1943, by this point having a shade over 1,200hrs on his Flying Log Book. This third Tour saw him on anti-submarine patrols and escort duties, flying Liberators mainly. Plenty of contact with the enemy presented itself, on his 11th Op when giving night escort to the SS Andes. Having been stalked and attacked by a U-Boat, he went in to make his attack in Liberator BZ.911. Unable to get a hit on his first run, the U-Boat made its escape and submerged by the time he made his second run. Several mentions and comments on the extremely poor weather appear in the Flying Log Books, no surprised given the time of year and location for his flights. Moved to Ballykelly in April 1944, he would also find himself operating in the English Channel and off the Lizard in June 1944. By this time it was his 21st Op of his third Tour and his 75th total Op. His 27th - and final - Op of this third Tour came on 5-6 September 1944, when on a 'stopper' patrol north-west of Eagle Island & Donegal Bay. Flying in a 3/4 moon they encountered only friendly shipping. Having got 'wheels up' at 2130hrs the previous evening, he closed out a remarkable 81 Ops at 0810hrs on 6 September.

Third and final Tour expired, he didn't fly from October-December 1944 whilst having been sent up to RAF Staff College at Gerrards Cross. By the end of the Second World War, Casement had his three decorations, a 'mention' and nearly 1700hrs to his name on his Flying Log Books.

Posted to RAF Amman in the Middle East and serving in Palestine with the Levant Communications Flight, was made a Squadron Leader in August 1947. Casement returned home in 1948 to continue his career at RAF St Eval, Cornwall and at the Joint Service Defence College Latimer, Buckinghamshire. Made Wing Commander on 1 July 1951, he was the youngest Officer in the Royal Air Force to hold that rank at that time. Casement served in Cyprus during the Suez Crisis and also in Malaya. His later career included stints at RAF Binbrook, working back home in Northern Ireland where he was attached to Sea Eagle, working with NATO Submarines and RAF Mountbatten in Plymouth. Casement ended his career as Station Commander of RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire in 1966. When Casement retired in 1968, he had flown some 3,800hrs in 27 different aircraft. The Group Captain died on 12 December 2016.

Sold together with the following original archive comprising:

(i)
His five Flying Log Books, covering his entire career, with several official documents, certificates, newspaper clippings and other items pasted in.

(ii)
Two personal diaries, covering his first and part of his second Tours, adding fine detail to his remarkable career.

(iii)
Bestowal Document for the D.S.O., together with Mention in Despatches Certificate and his Crossing the Arctic Circle Certificate.

(iv)
Pencil sketch for the No. 61 Squadron Badge design.

(v)
A good photograph album, each image with ink annotations, to include images of his crews, bombing photographs, plus original images of his U-Boat 'kill'.

(vi)
Silver and leather hip flask, this engraved 'Presented to S.Ldr. P. R. Casement from The Members of his Crew 18.9.'44. 120 Sqdn.'.

(vii)
A quantity of original papers, passports, official letters and other items.

Please see Lot 339 for this miniature dress medals.


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Estimate
£14,000 to £18,000

Starting price
£12000