Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant M. R. J. Chetwynd-Stapylton, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who completed an operational tour in Spitfires of No. 130 Squadron, prior to transferring to Mosquitoes of the Path Finder Force and raising his operational sorties to the 70 mark - six of them on the “Berlin Express” run

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’ and privately engraved, ‘M.R.J. C-S’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, extremely fine (5) £1000-1200

D.F.C. London Gazette 22 May 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant M. R. J. Chetwynd-Stapylton was the pilot of a Spitfire in 130 (F) Squadron from June 1941 to January 1942, during which time he made 35 sweeps. Since September 1944, this officer has made 34 sorties in Mosquito aircraft over Germany and has had a most successful series of operations, showing at all times determination and keenness.’

Miles Richard John Chetwynd-Stapylton was born in May 1918 and was educated at Winchester College and Magdalene College, Cambridge. And he commenced his operational career in No. 130 Squadron, a Spitfire unit operating out of Portreath as part of No. 10 Group, Fighter Command, in June 1941, in which capacity he flew 35 operational sorties in the period leading up to January 1942, either on convoy defence or bomber escort missions, and on offensive cross-Channel sweeps.

Most likely employed as an instructor in the interim, he returned to operations in Mosquitoes of No. 128 Squadron in September 1944, a unit of the Path Finder Force’s Fast Night Striking Force based at Wyton, Huntingdonshire, adding another 34 sorties to his tally by the time of being recommended for his D.F.C. in February 1945. These latter operations, largely categorised as “nuisance raids”, were all conducted against German targets, and including no less than six trips to Berlin and three to Hamburg, 128’s Mosquitoes carrying 4000lb “Cookies”.

Chetwynd-Stapylton died in February 1970, aged 51 years.

Sold with an original letter from the recipient’s sister, dated 22 February 1996, in which she confirms she still owns his Flying Log Books, together with several copied wartime photographs, presumably as supplied by her.