Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The original R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books appertaining to Warrant Officer P. M. Gray, Royal Air Force, who flew glider-towing sorties to Arnhem and during “Operation Varsity”, R.A.F. Form 414 types (2), covering the periods February 1942 to June 1944, and June 1944 to June 1946, this latter then followed by civilian entries as a First Officer in Skyways Limited in the Middle and Far East in the period April 1946 to December 1952; a civilian Flying Log Book (C.A. Form 24 type), with entries as a First Officer in B.O.A.C. covering the period December 1952 to August 1957, with assorted inserts, together with U.S.A.A.F metalled wings, the reverse engraved, ‘1323066 P. M. Gray, R.A.F.’, lacking pin for wearing, a pair of B.O.A.C. metalled wings, his R.A.F. embroidered wings, and wartime uniform medal ribands, generally in good condition (Lot) £250-300

Peter Michael Gray, who enlisted in the Royal Air Force in the summer of 1941, commenced his pilot training in early 1942 and, having qualified in the U.S.A., returned to the U.K. By April 1944 was operating in Albermarles of No. 42 O.T.U., in which period he received a written endorsement from the A.O.C. No. 38 Group for his ‘coolness and skill’ in landing his aircraft at night after engine failure.

Posted to 296 Squadron in early September 1944, he towed a Horsa from Manston to ‘Y’ D.Z. at Arnhem on the 17th, and, having transferred to No. 644 Squadron at Tarrant Rushton, piloted a Halifax on a bombing run against Rheydt on 23 February 1945. A month later, on 24 March, he towed a Horsa for “Operation Varsity”, the crossing of the Rhina, his log book noting that most of the return trip was undertaken with lowered undercarriage, while in May he delivered supplies to Norway as part of “Operation Doomsday”. Gray departed the R.A.F. in June 1946, when he took up work as a pilot for Skyways Limited in the Middle and Far East, but from 1952 until his retirement in the late 1950s, he served as a First Officer in Comets and other aircraft for B.O.A.C.