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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 869

Five: Flight Lieutenant N. F. Wenzel, Royal Air Force, late Royal Canadian Air Force, a Coastal Command veteran who completed 321 trips during “Operation Plainfare” - otherwise known as the Berlin Airlift 1948-49

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence Medal, silver; Canadian Voluntary Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver, sold together with the recipient's flying logbooks and an archive of original material, good very fine (5)

Provenance:
D.N.W. July 2004.

Norman Ferdinand Wenzel enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in August 1941 as a Leading Aircraftman, qualifying as an Air Observer / Navigator on 20 June 1942. Promoted Sergeant, by October of that year he travelled to No. 4 Air Observer School, London on 16 March 1942, where he qualified for bombers.

Wenzel's first operational posting was with No. 269 Squadron from 4 October 1943. At the time this unit was flying Anson's out of Coastal Command, Reykjavik. Later joining 1407 (Met.) Flight he was to see further operational flying with No. 279 and 251 Squadrons throughout 1944. At the end of the year he was awarded his Operational Wing as mark of his completion of a tour of duty. Wenzel was released from the R.C.A.F. in the rank of Flying Officer in June 1946, having latterly been attached to No. 426 Squadron, a Liberator unit of Transport Command.

However, Wenzel did not intend to stop flying and obtained a commission in the R.A.F., joining 1510 Flight at Bircham Newton, Norfolk in August 1947. Later posted to No. 242 Squadron, a unit of Transport Command operating in York aircraft. He was still with the Squadron in the summer of 1948, going on to complete a remarkable 321 trips during the Berlin Airlift, with his final sortie being flown at the end of June 1949. Notably and unusually, the pilot of his aircraft for most of these flights was his brother, Flight Lieutenant C. L. Wenzel, D.F.C., A.F.C.

Wenzel later transferred to No. 83 Squadron in May 1950 but would appear to have resigned his commission by March 1952.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods March 1942 to February 1950, and March 1950 to March 1952, the latter also containing numerous civilian travel entries for 1971-2001; certificate of issue for R.C.A.F. 'Operational Wings', dated 13 June 1945, with a set of wings and a shoulder flash along with a contemporary crew photograph and squadron photograph with identifying notes as well as copied R.C.A.F. discharge certificate and a copy of 'Pioneers of the Airlift'.

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Sold for
£380

Starting price
£210