Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant S. M. Masters, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with original Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for the D.F.C., in the name of ‘Flight Lieutenant Stanley Masters, D.F.C.’, generally good very fine and better (5) £1400-1600

D.F.C. London Gazette 17 October 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Pilot Officer Masters has completed 35 operational sorties as Navigator with 158 Squadron. It has been a tour which started early in the year when concentration and timing on the long flights to such targets as Leipzig, Nuremburg, Augsburg, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart provided the severest of navigational tests. Pilot Officer Masters proved himself on these sorties and established a personal record which speaks of cool efficiency, high technical skill, initiative and unshakeable courage.

These qualities have had their effect upon the high standard of morale which has been so marked in this crew and a considerable amount of the success they have achieved is attributable to him. He kept them on track, he carried on with his job whatever the problems, and the more difficult the objective the greater was his spirit of cheerfulness.

For his excellent record as a Navigator on 35 operations, and for his unfailing devotion to duty and constant courage throughout a hazardous tour, it is recommended that he be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Stanley Masters commenced his operational career as a Navigator with No. 158 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Lissett, Yorkshire, in February 1944, and between then and mid-July 1944 completed 36 sorties against a variety of French and German targets, the former in support of the D-Day landings, and including four daylight raids, and the latter including Aachen, Essen and Dusseldorf, in addition to those cities cited above; sold with copied D.F.C. recommendation.