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Auction: 6007 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 378

An ´Immediate´ Advance Air Striking Force, 1940 Battle of France D.F.M. Group of Six to Blenheim Air Gunner and Observer, Sergeant Later Flight Lieutenant J.R. Paine, No. 139 Squadron, for Conspicuous Gallantry After Low Level Dive Bombing Attacks near Maastricht, His Formation was Jumped by about 30 fighters, With the Aircraft Hedge-Hopping, Twisting and Turning to Escape their Attention, Paine Crawled through the Fuselage and Dragged a Seriously Wounded Gunner from the Cockpit and Operated his Gun to Such Good Effect that the Enemy Aircraft Peeled Off; A Veteran of 10 Operational Sorties from British Somaliland, with No. 8 Squadron, 1936, He was later Bombing Leader with No. 500 Squadron (Hudsons) on Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Patrols, 1942-44 Distinguished Flying Medal G.VI.R., 1st ´Ind: Imp:´ type (513735. Sgt. J.R. Paine. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, with Atlantic Bar; Africa Star, with North Africa 1942-43 Bar; Defence and War Medals, very fine or better, mounted as originally worn, with (2) Flying Log Books, bound into one volume (28.11.1933-26.7.1953) (6) Estimate £ 2,000-2,500D.F.M. London Gazette 31.5.1940 513735 Sergeant James Reginald Paine No. 139 Squadron (Advance Air Striking Force, B.E.F.) The Recommendation, dated 13.5.1940, states ´On 12th May 1940 nine aircraft of this squadron were detailed to carry out a dive-bombing attack on a convoy of advancing ground forces on the Belgian frontier. On reaching the target, the formation was attacked by a superior number of enemy fighters. The target was bombed but the results could not be observed as the Air Gunner was busy firing and the Air Observer was assisting the pilot by informing him from which direction enemy fighters were attacking. After bombing, the getaway developed into a running fight with four fighters attacking the leader and No.2 of his section, No.3 having been shot down over the target in flames. The Air Gunner was shot in the chest and Sergeant Paine, on observing this, crawled through the fuselage, dragged the wounded Air Gunner out of his cockpit, and proceeded to operate the rear gun. He fired two pans of ammunition at the attacking fighters who, up to then, had been pressing home their attacks to a very close range. In this period, the pilot had taken his aircraft down to ground level and was hedge-hopping and turning in an endeavour to prevent fighters from getting in a sustained burst of fire. The re-opening of fire from the rear gun must have shaken up the enemy fighters as they soon gave up the attack. Sergeant Paine then did his best to dress the wounds of the Air Gunner by means of a field dressing, after which he crawled forward to his own cockpit and assisted to navigate the aircraft to Base. Sergeant Paine´s prompt action and handling of the rear gun saved the aircraft from being shot down, and I strongly recommend that he be considered for an award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.´ Officer Commanding, Wing Head Quarters remarks ´Sergeant J.R. Paine, by his prompt and unhesitating action, almost certainly saved the lives of the whole crew of the aircraft. His devotion to duty is more marked in that the fitting of armour plate behind the pilot´s seat makes it difficult for any man to make his way aft from the front cockpit and necessitates removing flying clothing and parachute; by so doing, he sacrificed any of his chances of escape if compelled to abandon the aircraft. I consider this a particularly fine action and strongly recommend that he be given an immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.´ Flight Lieutenant James Reginald Paine, D.F.M.; enlisted as 513735 Aircraftman 2nd Class Royal Air Force, 8.1.1931; after Cranwell was posted to S.H.Q. Northolt, 9.3.1934; posted No. 8 (B) Squadron, Aden (Vickers Vincents), 25.4.1935-11.4.1937; Air Gunner 3.9.1935; during his service with 8 Squadron he detached with "B" Flight to British Somaliland during the hostilities between Italy and Abyssinia and flew in ten operational sorties including, 13.8.1936, ´Aden-Wadi Marea. Operations against the Ahl Mansuris´ (Log refers); posted Air Observer 139 (Jamaica) Squadron, Wyton and after several attachments that year including to Aboukir and the R.A.F. Station at Heliopolis he returned to the squadron, 8.1.1940, Bethenivelle (Blenheims), and took part in four operational sorties: 12.5.1940 (see D.F.M. Recommendation), where he states that they were, ´intercepted by 30 enemy fighters over Maastrich´ (Log refers), the other three were: Ostend (2) and Rotterdam; posted Bombing Leader "A" Flight 500 (County of Kent) Squadron, Bircham Newton (Hudsons), 23.1.1942 and served with the squadron (including its moves to Gibraltar, Algiers and Blida) until 16.1.1943, mainly flying in maritime reconaissance duties, including Anti-Submarine patrols, 14.11.1942 "Off Oran-ran into U-boat (U595) on surface could not submerge. Attacked with 4 250 lb D.C.´s and believed straddled - U-boat let torpedo´s go, and became low aft. Attacked again with M.G. fire-front and rear guns U-boat replied with 2" gun twin 20mm cannon and M.G. shot petrol tank out´ (Log refers), later confirmed by Royal Navy; Flight Lieutenant 12.1.1944; posted 225 Group, Bangalore, India, 9.11.1945; Flight Lieutenant Paine retired 1.1.1954.

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