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Auction: 3016 - Orders, Medals, Decorations & Militaria
Lot: 84

A 1945 Lancaster Flight Engineer's D.F.M. to Flight Sergeant H.G. Smith, Royal Air Force, Pathfinder and Veteran of Fifty-Five Operational Sorties.
Distinguished Flying Medal G.VI.R. (1628922 F/Sgt H.G. Smith R.A.F.), nearly extremely fine, together with recipients Flying Log Book (3.9.1943 - 2.11.1944)


D.F.M. London Gazette 17.4.1945. Flight Sergeant, No. 35 (Pathfinder) Squadron.
The Recommendation dated 8.1.1945 states: "As a Flight Engineer Sergeant Smith has taken part in 55 bombing attacks on the enemy involving a total of 209 flying hours. He has attacked targets such as Berlin, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Stettin as well as enemy troop concentrations and installations in the now Liberated Territories. He has always shown complete disregard of enemy defences and his example of coolness under fire has inspired his crew."

Flight Sergeant Henry George Smith D.F.M. qualified as Flight Engineer 30.9.1943, joined 35 Squadron 3.11.1943 and completed his first night operation on Cannes eight days later in Halifaxes. His first tour included trips to Dortmund, Cologne, Stuttgart, Schweinfurt, Berlin eight times, Frankfurt twice and a number of pre and post D-Day targets. From mid-March 1944 35 Squadron converted to Lancasters in which Smith continued operational sorties to early December that year which included 13 attacks upon French targets, assisting the Allied advance, and 12 upon mainland Germany.

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Sold for
£1,400