Orders, Decorations and Medals

Five: Flying Officer K. H. Woodhams, Royal Air Force Transport Command
1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals, all unnamed as issued, together with the recipient’s R.A.F. Navigator’s, Air Bomber’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book for the period July 1943 to October 1946, four Civil Aviation Personal Flying Log Books for the period June 1947 to October 1978, R.A.F. Service and Release Book, R.A.F. Identity Card, various photographs, cloth insignia and a quantity of flying manuals, good very fine (5) £180-220

Kenneth Woodhams served in the Royal Air Force from July 1942 until November 1946. He served overseas with No. 45 (Atlantic Transport) Group, Transport Command, from February 1944 to June 1945, based at Doorval, Canada. He subsequently served with Nos. 51 and 511 Squadrons before being demobilised in October 1946. Thereafter Woodhams was employed in a civil capacity with various commercial airlines, including Olley Air Services at Croydon Airport, British United Airways, and Laker Airways. He gained his Private Pilot’s Licence in June 1958, and his Commercial Pilot’s Licence in July 1961. By the end of his career he had amassed more than 23,000 hours flying time, including over 10,000 hours as a pilot. In November 1952, he was Radio Operator aboard an Avro York aircraft that crashed on approach to R.A.F. Lyneham, after hitting some trees. The pilot and two 1st officers suffered cuts, Woodhams was unhurt, and the plane was a write-off.