A Fine Collection of Awards to the Men of Bomber Command 1939-45

Three: Sergeant V. Anderson, Royal Air Force, a Rear-Gunner who survived three 1000 Bomber Raids prior to being lost in a sortie against Hamburg

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, in card box of issue, with condolence slip, addressed to the recipient’s widow, virtually as issued (3) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Men of Bomber Command 1939-45.

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Sergeant V. Anderson, who commenced his wartime career with an Air Gunner’s course in September 1941, attended No. 12 Operational Training Unit prior to joining No. 7 Squadron, a Stirling unit, in April 1942. Appointed a Rear-Gunner, he flew his first sorties against targets in France, St. Nazaire being visited twice and Boulogne once in the following month.

He then survived the grand slam of three 1000 Bomber Raids against Cologne, Bremen and Essen in less than a month, Emden also being visited thrice in the same period. July witnessed raids on Duisburg, Lubeck, Vegesack and Wilhelmshaven, but on the night of the 28th, in a sortie to Hamburg, his Stirling was brought down in the vicinity of Klein Horston, 16 miles S.W. of Wilhelmshaven. Anderson was subsequently interred in Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Book, covering the period September 1941 to July 1942; the War Medal 1939-45 awarded to his widow, Corporal M. Gillett, W.A.A.F., in its named card box of issue, with forwarding slip; and more recent research and photographs regarding the fate of the recipient’s Stirling.