Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War D.F.M. group of five awarded to Squadron Leader C. J. Farmery, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve: a veteran of a tour of operations as a Sergeant Pilot in Whitleys of No. 10 Squadron in 1941, he gained rapid advancement and was killed in action piloting a Halifax of No. 77 Squadron in January 1944

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (748296 Sgt. C. J. Farmery, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, generally good very fine (5) £1700-1900

D.F.M. London Gazette 21 November 1941. The original recommendation states:

‘Sergeant Farmery was screened after 28 operational missions, in all of which he displayed ability and resource of the highest order. He was regarded as one of the most skilful captains in the Squadron, who could always be relied upon to attack the target. He was at all times a cheerful and inspiring leader, with an unusual mastery of aircraft, engines and air tactics, and I strongly recommend that his unswerving devotion to duty be recognised with the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Clifford John Farmery commenced his operational career on joining No. 10 Squadron, a Whitley unit operating out of Dishforth, in December 1940. The unit moved to Leeming in the summer of 1941.

His subsequent tour of operations included three trips to Bremen, no less than six to Cologne, and two trips to both Essen and Mannheim, in addition to a number of targets in France and Holland, the former including a strike on the Scharnhorst at La Pallice on 23 July 1941. He flew as a 2nd Pilot for his first eight sorties, but thereafter as Captain of Aircraft and, as is clear from relevant O.R.B. entries, intense flak was encountered on numerous occasions, a case in point being a trip to Cologne on the night of 27-28 May 1941:

‘Heavy and intense A.A. fire was met, particularly from the south-east of the target, this was accurate and searchlights were operating in large numbers. Two small holes were caused in the port aileron as a result of A.A. fire but none of the crew were wounded.’

Earlier in his tour, on a trip to Sterkrade on the night of 15-16 February, ‘intense searchlight activity was met over the Ruhr and the aircraft was held and the crew completely dazzled ... bombs were jettisoned when the aircraft was held in searchlights and it was suspected that a fighter attack was being carried out.’

Clearly a highly skilled pilot, Farmery had risen to the rank of Squadron Leader by the time of his posting to No. 77 Squadron, a Halifax unit operating out of Elvington, at the end of 1943. Sadly, however, it proved to be a short-lived posting, for on the night of 21-22 January 1944, during a sortie to Magdeburg, his aircraft was attacked and shot down by a night fighter; only one member of crew survived to be taken P.O.W., Flight Sergeant R. R. J. Jackson, R.N.Z.A.F.

Farmery is buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.