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Auction: 9033 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 15

A Fine ´North Africa, 1943´ Spitfire Ace´s D.F.C. Group of Six to Battle of Britain Hurricane Pilot, Warrant Officer, Later Flying Officer, A.W. ´Sexton´ Gear, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Who Flew With 32 Squadron During the Battle, And Went On to Be Credited With At Least 3 Victories, 1 During the Defence of Malta, 1 Shared and 3 Damaged, All Whilst Flying with 72 (Basutoland) Squadron; His Operational Flying Was Prematurely Cut Short When as a Test Pilot He Was Involved in an Air Accident, January 1944, Which Resulted in Him Being Invalided Out of the Royal Air Force With a Broken Back. An Undoubted Character He Went on to Become One of the Founding Members of the Handle Bar Moustache Club a) Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse dated ´1943´, in Royal Mint case of issue b) 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Bar, this an old copy c) Air Crew Europe Star d) Africa Star, with North Africa 1942-43 Bar e) Italy Star f) War Medal, good very fine, campaign awards mounted as originally worn, with associated miniature awards (with E.II.R. D.F.C.), together with the following official documents and related items: - Leather Wallet, as carried by recipient throughout his war time service, enclosed a lock of his wife´s hair and several notes of varying foreign currencies - Cloth R.A.F. Wings - R.A.F. Pilot´s Flying Log Book (15.4.1939-6.8.1942) - R.A.F. Pilot´s Flying Log Book (12.8.1942-11.1.1944) - 41 War Time Letters, mainly between the recipient and his wife, addressed to her at ´ 19 Woodlands Avenue, Redhill, Surrey´; and three Telegrams to the same effect - Several photographic images of recipient; a bound copy of The Battle of Britain "The Few"; Order of Service for recipient´s funeral, held at the Surrey and Sussex Crematorium and other ephemera (lot) Estimate £ 4,500-5,500 D.F.C. London Gazette Warrant Officer (now Pilot Officer) Alan Walter Gear (745510), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 72 Squadron. The Recommendation, dated 23.5.1943, states: ´Warrant Officer Gear who is now on his second operational tour participated in over 80 sweeps over the Channel, including several to the Breast Peninsula. During this tour he destroyed 1 He. 111. He has flown 174 operational hours in the North African campaign, and undertaken all types of sorties, including air combats, troop and aerodrome, and in the final stages, shipping strafes in the Gulf of Tunis. His claims in air combat during this campaign are: 2 1/2 destroyed. (1 Me. 109G. and 1/2 Ju. 87). 1 Me 210 destroyed 1 probably destroyed. (1 Me.109) 2 damaged. (1 Ju.88 and 1 Me. 109). W/O Gear was posted to No. 72 Squadron from Training Command shortly before the Squadron left England and immediately became the guiding influence among the Sergeant pilots, both in the air and on the ground. His exceptional doggedness and zeal in the air has had a great effect on the less experienced pilots who flew with him.´ Remarks by Officer Commanding Wing: ´W/O Gear has exerted a most powerful influence on the morale and enthusiasm of his fellow pilots which has undoubtedly had its effect upon the success achieved by his squadron. This award is strongly recommended.´ Flying Officer Alan Walter ´Sexton´ Gear, D.F.C. (1916-2003), born Reigate, Surrey; joined Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as an Airman u/t Pilot, April 1939; after initial training in Magisters at No. 15 E.F.T.S Redhill, he was called up in September and posted to No. 8 F.T.S. Woodley; whilst at the latter he was involved in a motorcycle crash and after his recovery he had to attend a refresher course at 9 E.F.T.S. Ansty; after further training in Fairey Battles and Hurricanes he was posted to 32 Squadron, Acklington (Hurricanes), 2.10.1940; he moved with the squadron to Middle Wallop and Ibsley before being posted on an instructors´ course, October 1941, and then instructing himself at 9 F.T.S., Hullavington; on leaving 32 Squadron his O/C, Squadron Leader Russell, annotated his Log Book thus, ´This pilot has served with amazing keenness in 32 Sqn. His heart is in operational flying and his posting away is a very great blow to the Squadron. As his Commanding Officer I wish to say that he is as fine and as keen a fighter pilot as any Squadron Commander could have in his Squadron. I only wish that more Huns had come his way while serving under me´; after instructing in Miles Masters Gear returned to operational flying as a Warrant Officer with 72 (Basutoland) Squadron, Ouston (Spitfires), October 1942, moving with the Squadron to North Africa the following month; he was straight in to action as Jack Lancaster (then a Sgt Fitter with the Squadron) recalls, ´On his return from a sortie in November 1942, Sexton Gear as he was known gave an unusual combat report - "Now then Jack we got ´em sorted this morning. We came across some ME 109s on a landing strip near Tunis. Gave them a quick burst and then aimed at a lot of ´Jerries´ using a line of open air loos. You should have seen them stand up and run for cover with their trews still wrapped around their ankles"; Gear´s Log Book indicates that he liked to be in the thick of the action, 2.12.1942, ´Low Level Attack Tebourba Area, Met Some 109´s & 190´s Who Went to Fast For Me to Give Them a Squirt, Beat Up Troops Etc´; 5.12.1942, ´Attacked 109 Probable [Not Confirmed], Intercepted 109´s At Fairly Low Altitude Where They Couldn´t Do Dive & Climb Antics as Usual´; 10.12.1942, ´Drome Patrol. Attacked J.U. 88 Probable, Later Confirmed Destroyed, [This was given as Damaged and may have been an aircraft of KG 60 which failed to return] Hits on Port Wing, Engine & Fuselage, Last Seen Smoking & Diving Into Cloud´; 12.12.1942, ´Low Level Attack. STBD. Wing Hit By Flack, A Very Exciting Trip, Lots of Vehicles Hit & Fired Before Getting Hit Myself´; 17.12.1942, ´Escort Bizerte, Another Bombing By Forts From 24,000. Chased 2 & Then 3 109´s, But They Dived Too Fast For Us, But Later Attacked By 4 Lightnings By Mistake, Bad Shots Fortunately, These Yanks Are The Most Useless Flyers on Earth, Except Their Bomber Boys´; 5.1.1943, ´Sweep, Mateur Area. 1-J.U. 87 Destroyed [Later given as a shared] Lovely Picnic, Big Fat Wallowing Stukas´; 6.1.1943, ´Recco For Army. Mateur Area. Naughters Ho! Shot Up 6 Huns at Breakfast, Gave Me A Good Appetite For Mine´; 18.1.1943, ´Close Escort Hurri-Bombers Pont Du Fahs Area, Squirted at 109F, Hit By Flak, Too Close To Seat For Comfort, Quite Exciting´; after a couple of months of frustration, Gear was back in the thick of it with April proving to be a busy month for him and his Spitfire, 11.4.1943, ´Top Cover. Hurris To Enfidaville. 109g Probable [Later given as Damaged] Good Bombing, Terrific Flak, Lots of 109s, Nearly Everybody Fired, Grand Do´; 22.4.1943, ´Free Lance Sweep Tunis Area 109 Destroyed, Lots of 109´s, Chased Six, Got One, Chased By Other Five, Poor Show, Hit Twice, Burst My Port Tyre´; 23.4.1943, ´Free Lance Sweep Pont Du Fahs Area, 109 Damaged, Chased Two 109´s, Attacked Both Alternatively, But only Blew A Few Large Pieces Off One´; and the following day in the same area, ´Big Battle In Progress, 15-109´s, Bounced By Three, But Took Successful Evasive Action´; 21.5.1943, ´Scramble. M.E. 210 Destroyed, Intercepted By Excellent Vectoring Off Tebarka, Spun From 20,000, Wizard Splash, Nothing Left´; Gear moved with the Squadron firstly to Hal Far, Malta and then the following month in July to Comiso, Sicily; whilst flying out of Malta he obtained his last confirmed enemy aircraft, 20.6.1943, ´Scramble, 109g Destroyed, 31,000: Saw E/A (2) 15 Mls Away & Gave Chase, Went in From 12,000, F/O Sharp Killed´; 9.7.1943, ´Shipping Escort, Invasion Fleet To Sicily, Ships Everywhere, Grand Sight´; commissioned 11.6.1943 with his D.F.C. being gazetted 27.7.1943; he completed his tour, which mainly consisted of escorts, 14.10.1943, but not before fitting in some interesting test flights, 4.8.1943, he flew an M.E. 109, ´Violent Evasive Tactics, A Nice Aeroplane, Plenty of Power, Very Heavy On Elevators, Lighter On Ailerons Than Either Hurricane or Spitfire, Subjected to Intense Inaccurate Light Flak From Our Own Guns, Poor Shooting Not Hit, I Hates Pongo Gunners´; posted as test pilot to 59 R.S.U., Foggia, October 1943, he did not appear to enjoy being away from operational flying but still found ways to fill his time, ´During the afternoon a telegram arrived for F/O Bamfather advising him of the birth to his wife of a daughter. This has been causing him some worry during the last few weeks and he has been living in a fever of anticipation. Celebrations commenced immediately on a terrific scale only pausing for dinner at six o´clock, to be continued immediately afterwards. During the evening we graduated to the Sgt´s Mess for a couple of hours and left it in a complete shambles of broken glass and furniture. We then proceeded to have a final fling until well after mid-night in our own Mess, and believe me anything that could be flung, was, and a game of rugby using lamp shades for a ball did not improve things, and Officers´ Mess describes the scene next morning perfectly´ (Letter to recipient´s wife, dated 5.12.1943, refers); unfortunately Gear was involved in a crash due to an engine failure in January 1944, he suffered severe injuries including a broken back; Gear was invalided out of the service in early 1945; after the War Gear was to become one of the founder members of the Handle Bar Moustache Club, an item of which he seems to have been exceptionally fond of, mentioning it´s welfare continually to his wife in their letters and even having to defend it whilst recuperating in hospital from his accident, ´He gets teased about his moustache, the senior sister was threatening to cut it off for him when I was there, he is very proud of that moustache.´ (Letter from F/O V. Jones to recipient´s wife, dated 4.2.1944). See lot 56 for Gear´s father-in-law´s medal group.

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£5,500