Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Second World War fighter pilot’s D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flying Officer J. S. Simmons, Royal Air Force Volunteer, who completed in excess of 80 operational sorties in Spitfires of No. 249 Squadron in support of the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force, many of them over the Balkans

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1944’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the last four in their original Air Ministry card forwarding box addressed to ‘F./O. J. S. Simmons’ at Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, extremely fine (5) £1600-1800

D.F.C. London Gazette 8 September 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘This Warrant Officer of No. 249 Squadron has always shown the greatest keenness to engage the enemy. In the Balkans he has carried out 24 fighter-bomber sorties, and his bombing has been remarkably accurate. He has bombed three bridges which have been destroyed, and bombed and strafed enemy camps, harbour installations, mechanical transport parks, and Radar Stations, with excellent results. He has probably destroyed two E-Boats, damaged two motor vessels and three barges in the Adriatic, and destroyed and damaged 31 enemy mechanical transport vehicles in Albania and Greece.

Warrant Officer Simmons, in addition to the bomber operations already mentioned, carried out 57 offensive fighter-sweeps over enemy occupied territory, and has proved himself to be an extremely able Section Leader. He has displayed qualities of leadership, courage and devotion to duty of a high order, and I strongly recommend him for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Jack Stephen Simmons was recommended for his D.F.C. by Air Vice-Marshal H. Pugh Lloyd of Malta fame in July 1944, after completing 81 operational sorties and a total of 135 operational flying hours. A fellow 249-pilot, Dennis McCaig, who was himself downed by flak, later published a wartime memoir, From Fiji to the Balkans, an entertaining and informative account of 249’s active part in the Balkans campaign.