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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 195

A Second World War Air Gunner's D.F.M. awarded to Sergeant C. L. Spink, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was Killed in Action in a Lancaster of No. 103 Squadron in a strike against Kassel on 22 October 1943

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1474213 Sgt. C. L. Spink, R.A.F.), extremely fine

D.F.M. London Gazette 28 March 1944, the original recommendations states:

'Sergeant Spink joined No. 103 Squadron on 11 June 1943, since when he has completed 25 operational sorties.

He had throughout his tour displayed intense enthusiasm for his job and a keen and unquenchable desire to take part in operational flights and engage the enemy on every possible occasion, often when not detailed for such flights.

He has a magnificent offensive spirit, outstanding skill as an air gunner and a quiet and determined manner. His devotion to duty has been an inspiration to his squadron and I strongly recommend him for the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.'

Charles Leonard Spink joined No. 103 Squadron as an Air Gunner in June 1943 but had earlier flown a 'nickel raid' to Rouen in April, likely whilst attending an Operational Training Unit. Be that as it may, his first outing with No. 103 was a strike against Oberhausen on the night of 14 June, followed by trips to Cologne, Krefield and Mulheim before the month's end.

But it was in July that he flew some of the most notable sorties of his career, for a trip to Essen on the 25th aside, he flew in three strikes against Hamburg as part of Operation 'Gomorrah', on the 24th, 27th and 29th, followed by the final attack mounted on 2 August, when the city was all but destroyed in a resultant 'firestorm'.

Spink completed seven further sorties in August, including long-haul operations against Turin and Milan. Otherwise detailed to German targets, he and his crew attacked Berlin, Mannheim, Munchen-Gladbach and Nurnberg, twice. Having then returned to the 'Big City' on the night of 3 September, they carried out three more attacks on German targets in the same month, namely Mannheim, Munich and Bochum.

And a similar operational agenda prevailed in October, with sorties to Munich, Stuttgart and Hanover, in addition to two trips to Kassel. And it was on the second of these - on the 22nd - that Spink's aircraft failed to return. Likely the victim of an enemy night fighter, his Lancaster crashed at Rischenau, near Lugde, in Germany. There were no survivors.

Just four days earlier, the C.O. of No. 106 Squadron had put Spink forward for the award of his D.F.M., a recommendation signed off by the Group Captain commanding R.A.F. Elsham Wolds in Lincolnshire on 20 October.

Aged just 19, he was the son of Harry and Edith Spink of Hook, Yorkshire and is buried in the Hanover War Cemetery.

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Estimate
£1,000 to £1,400

Starting price
£800