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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 255

The 1976 M.B.E group of six awarded to Squadron-Leader R. W. Kimmings, Royal Air Force, who flew numerous sorties in Spitfires of No.'s 129 (Mysore), 249 (Gold Coast) and 253 (Hyderabad) Squadrons in 1942-45, followed by, unusually, a further tour in Spits in No. 60 Squadron in Malaya in 1950, also picking up a brace of Queen's Commendations along the way

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Military Division, Member's (M.B.E.) Badge, copy; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, tailor's copy of some age; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya (1269552 F. Sgt. R. W. Kimmings. R.A.F.), very fine (6)

M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1976.

Queen's Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air London Gazette 1 January 1963 and 13 June 1970.

Robert William Kimmings was born at Caterham, Surrey on 29 April 1922 and enlisted in the Royal Air Force in October 1940. Embarked for the U.S.A. in the summer of 1941, he undertook pilot training and notched up over 200 hours flying time before returning to the U.K. in March 1942.

Having then attended No. 57 Operational Training Unit, he was posted to No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron, a Spitfire unit based in the Orkneys, in October 1942, in which capacity he flew dawn and convoy patrols, in addition to the occasional 'scramble'. And when, in early 1943, the Squadron moved south to Ibsley, and later to Tangmere, the action quickly picked up, the period March-April witnessing Kimmings and his fellow pilots fly 'Circus', 'Rodeo' and 'Roadstead' sorties.

In June 1943, he was posted to No. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron, another Spitfire unit, in Malta, from where in the following month he flew at least 15 sorties in support of the Sicily landings, prior to moving to the Italian mainland at the year's end. Regular patrols - and A.S.R. work - ensued but the period April-June 1944 was especially busy, as the squadron commenced regular strafing and bombing sorties in the Adriatic. Thus 25 sorties in May alone, including an anti-E-boat sweep.

Tour-expired in June, Kimmings was 'rested' at 23 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Group (A.A.C.G.), but the returned to the operational scene with an appointment in No. 253 (Hyderabad) Squadron in March 1945, in which month he flew eight sorties in the unit's Spitfires, some of them out of Yugoslavia in April-May.

Having then ended the war in No. 73 Squadron in Italy, he served in 615 (County of Surrey) Auxiliary Squadron back in the U.K. in 1948-49 prior to being posted to No. 60 Squadron in Singapore, from whence he flew air strikes in Spitfires over Malaya until May 1950 when he joined the Far East Communication Squadron at Changi in Singapore. It was in February 1950 that 'anti-bandit month' was launched, with Kimmings following up on an attack led by Squadron-Leader Duncan-Smith (later Group Captain, D.S.O. & Bar, D.F.C. & Two Bars) in the area of Broga.

Following his tour of duty in Malaya, Kimmings was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the General Duties Branch in April 1955 and advanced to Flying Officer in February 1958, and much of his subsequent career was spent as an instructor at the Central Flying School.

He was twice awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air, in addition to the M.B.E., a year before he was placed on the Retired List as a Squadron Leader.

The Squadron Leader, who settled at Bembridge in the Isle of Wight, died in January 2000.

Sold with his R.A.F. Pilot's Flying Log Books (3), covering the periods June 1942 to February 1951, with opening endorsement about hours flown in the U.S.A.; July 1962 to July 1969, and August 1969 to April 1976; together with a copy of Ultimate Spitfires, by Peter Caygill, in which Kimmings is mentioned.


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Sold for
£700

Starting price
£240