An immediate Brest daylight raid D.F.C. group of nine awarded to Group Captain W. S. P. Simonds, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1941; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1935 (F./O., R.A.F.); India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37, M.I.D. oak leaf (F./L., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, Air Crew Europe; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf; Civil Defence Long Service, E.II.R., mounted as worn, generally good very fine (9) £1800-2200

D.F.C. London Gazette 8 August 1941. The original recommendation was for a D.S.O. and states:

‘Wing Commander Simonds was in command of No. 104 Squadron on 24 July 1941, when the Squadron took part in the attack on enemy battleships in Brest harbour, by daylight. The operation, as far as No. 104 Squadron is concerned, was particularly successful, greatly owing to the careful planning and organisation of this officer, who not only had the responsibility of organising the Squadron’s attack, but himself took part and led a section of three aircraft with great courage and determination, pressing home the attack and scoring direct hits. Hitherto, No. 104 Squadron, which has only recently re-formed, has been engaged entirely on night operations, and it speaks highly for the training and discipline of the Squadron that their first day operation should have been so successful, only one aircraft being lost over enemy territory. Wing Commander Simonds has shown ability, determination, and great personal courage through this operation, and is strongly recommended for the Distinguished Service Order.’

Mention in despatches London Gazette 18 February 1938 (Waziristan) and 1 January 1945.

William Stephen Pomeroy Simonds was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1931 and completed his training at No. 2 F.T.S. before being posted to No. 4 Squadron. In 1934 he was sent out to India to assist in the policing of the raiding tribesmen who frequented the North West Frontier, joining No. 20 Squadron at Peshawar. For his subsequent services in this campaign he was promoted to Flight Commander and mentioned in despatches, and afterwards served as an assistant to the A.O.C. of No. 1 Indian Group.

In 1939 Simonds assumed command of No. 52 Squadron and gained his first experience on Fairey Battles, soon after joining No. 98 “Derby’s Own” Squadron which was operating with the same aircraft. This latter unit was sent to France in April 1940 and flew operationally until being evacuated in June. Its homecoming was a tragic one since their transport, the S.S. Lancastria, was famously bombed and sunk with huge loss of life, soon after leaving St. Nazaire.

No less than 75 airmen perished but fortunately for Simonds he was not among them, having managed to have flown out of Nantes a few days earlier: official records confirm, however, that his Flying Log Books did not come out with him.

No. 98 was re-formed at Gatwick in July and still equipped with Fairey Battles it set forth to Iceland with Coastal Command. But in November 1940 Simonds was recalled to take command of No. 311 (Czech) Squadron, an appointment he occupied with no small degree of success, “working-up” the young Czechs in readiness for operations within six months. He was awarded the Czech Flying Badge by President Benes and advanced to Wing Commander.

In the Spring of 1941, Simonds was appointed to the command of No. 104 Squadron, which was operating out of Driffield with Wellingtons, and flew on several raids between May and July, including one on Hanover. However, it was for his services during July that he received his recommendation for the D.S.O. (reduced to an immediate D.F.C.). Throughout that period the R.A.F. had carried out large scale attacks against the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen, many of them in daylight, and it was on one of these operations on 24 July that Simonds gained direct hits despite the ferocious anti-aircraft fire and balloon barrage that protected Brest. On the same day smaller raids were carried out on La Pallice and Cherbourg.

In 1943, following a staff appointment, Simonds assumed command of R.A.F. Takali on Malta, but before too long he was transferred to Headquarters, Western Desert, on special duties, returning to the U.K. at the end of the year to attend Staff College. And in 1944, having been advanced to Group Captain, he commanded Force ‘G’ on special duties during the Normandy landings, and was mentioned in despatches.

Simonds was now posted to the Far East, where he became C.O. of No. 117 Wing in Burma. During this latter period he flew Dakotas on air supply trips to special forces in Malaya, Siam and Burma, as well as assist the British Military Mission in China. He was also a Staff Officer to Lord Mountbatten and Lord Tedder. And his long and active career culminated with the Japanese capitulation, and subsequent transportation of P.O.Ws back to India from Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan, an experience which left such a mark that he never spoke about the War again.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Flying Log Book (‘Book IV’) covering the period June 1940 to December 1945; mention in despatch certificates as Flight Lieutenant, dated 16 November 1937, and as Acting Group Captain, dated 1 January 1945, this last with the forwarding envelope; a telegram from Sir Archibald Sinclair wishing No. 104 Squadron good luck on their first operation over Germany on the night of 8-9 May 1941, and another congratulating them on its success; three more telegrams regarding the award of the recipient’s D.F.C., including one from Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse; Buckingham Palace investiture ticket and related newspaper cutting; a presentation scroll from the people of Blindley Heath, in gratitude of services rendered during the ‘Great War of Liberation, 1939-1946’; a selection of wartime photographs, including the recipient in a group shot with Lord Mountbatten, and damage to his Dakota which was accidently engaged by British ground forces; and one shoulder rank insignia for his Group Captain’s tropical tunic.