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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 196

A fine Second World War Pathfinder's D.F.M. group of five awarded to Flight Sergeant H. T. Ansell, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

A long-served Flight Engineer who was blessed 'with a cool head in an emergency', he completed over 50 operational sorties in Lancasters of No. 61 (Hull's Own) Squadron and No. 83 (P.F.F.) Squadron, including the notorious Dresden 'firestorm' raid of February 1945

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1893553 F./Sgt. H. T. Ansell, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the first with slack suspension, good very fine (5)

D.F.M. London Gazette 26 October 1945, the original recommendation states:

'Flight Sergeant Ansell has now completed 51 sorties against the enemy as Flight Engineer of a Lancaster crew. After he had completed a first tour of 34 sorties, he volunteered to carry on with his captain, and together they joined the Path Finder Force. He has done a further 17 sorties with Pathfinders.

He has been a most valuable member of crew and has shown the finest spirit of keenness in all his operational work. He has played his part splendidly in all of his crew's operations and his captain could rely on him to act with a cool head in any emergency.

On the night of 2-3 August 1944, Flight Sergeant Ansell's crew were taking part in an attack on the Bois de Casson. On the bombing run their aircraft was heavily engaged by flak and hit in many places. The port outer engine burst into flames. Flight Sergeant Ansell acted promptly, feathering the engine and operating the fire extinguisher. In addition, some of the petrol tank was badly holed. Flight Sergeant Ansell observed this and by careful attention to fuel supply cut the loss of petrol to a minimum, so that they were able to return safely. There is no doubt that his splendid work on this operation was the means of saving the aircraft, and possibly the lives of the crew.

For his devotion to duty, throughput a long operational tour, for his unquenchable enthusiasm to operate against the enemy on all occasions, and for his coolness and reliability over a long period, Flight Sergeant Ansell is recommended for the award of the D.F.M.'

Henry Thomas Ansell was posted to No. 61 Squadron in mid-June 1944, a Lancaster unit based at Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire. In the immediate wake of the Normandy landings, French targets were very much de rigueur, and Ansell and his crew carried out strikes against Limoges, Prouville, Vitry and Doullens before the month was out. Likewise in July, they flew 10 sorties to France, attacking such targets as Caen, Courtrai and Lyons, in addition to outings to Kiel and Stuttgart.

In August, they completed 10 further sorties, once again the majority of them to France, including targets in Bordeaux, Brest and the Pas de Calais, in addition to trips to Russelheim and Konigsberg. But, as cited above, their most memorable sortie was that to the Bois de Casson on the 2nd, when Ansell's skills as a Flight Engineer were much in demand on account of their aircraft's flak damaged port outer engine.

Then in September, Ansell and his crew rounded off their operational tour with sorties against Boulogne, Brest and Le Havre, in addition to Bremerhaven and Stuttgart.

Tour-expired, Ansell and his skipper volunteered for the Path Finder Force (P.F.F.) and joined No. 83 Squadron at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, from whence they flew their first sortie - against Munich - on 26 November 1944. And between then and V.E. Day, they flew a further 16 sorties, three of them to Politz. Most memorable, however, was likely their strike against Dresden on the night of 13-14 February 1945, the scene of terrible firestorms.

Post-war, Ansell appears to have settled in Durham, where he was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the Combined Cadet Force in December 1963; his R.A.F. Flying Log Book is currently on loan to the International Bomber Command Centre at Lincoln University.

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Estimate
£1,200 to £1,600

Starting price
£950