Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Second World War pathfinder’s D.F.M. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant P. E. Turner, No. 7 Squadron, Royal Air Force, who participated in three “Thousand Bomber Raids” prior to joining the crew of New Zealand bomber ace, Wing Commander J. E. Barron, D.S.O., D.F.C., D.F.M.

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (569898 Act. F./Sgt. P. E. Turner, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £1700-1900

D.F.M. London Gazette 18 May 1943. The original recommendation states:

‘A most trustworthy member of aircrew, Flight Sergeant Turner has now carried out the duties of Flight Engineer on 26 operational flights. His dependability and high standard of efficiency have been of the greatest assistance to his captain. His keenness and enthusiasm to engage the enemy are outstanding.’

Peter Eric Turner was born in Cheltenham in 1920 and enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1936. Trained as a Flight Engineer, he commenced his operational career in No. 7 Squadron, a Stirling unit operating out of Oakington, Cambridgeshire in May 1942, completing a sortie to Cologne on the night of the 30th - the first of the “Thousand Bomber Raids”. Having then participated in a similar strike against Essen 48 hours later, he joined Pilot Officer C. W. Gwillian’s crew in early June, a month that witnessed him carrying out his third “Thousand Force” sortie - against Bremen - and three attacks on Emden.

Then in July he returned to Bremen, in addition to raids on Duisburg (twice), Lubeck and Saarbrucken, while in August, following a trip to Flensburg and a strike against Frankfurt, his captain had to abandon an attack on Kassel after their aircraft was damaged by a Ju. 88 nightfighter. A brace of further attacks on Bremen and a trip to Saarbrucken followed in the first half of September, after which No. 7 Squadron commenced training for its new role in the Path Finder Force.

That training completed by January 1943, Turner joined the crew of Flight Lieutenant J. F. Barron, D.F.M., R.N.Z.A.F., who, over the next few weeks, would be gazetted for a D.F.C. and D.S.O. - and add a Bar to the latter decoration as a Wing Commander and C.O. of No. 7 Squadron in the following year. As a member of Barron’s crew, he flew a sortie to Lorient on the 15th and, in February, participated in attacks on Cologne (twice), Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven (twice).

Transferring to another crew under Flight Lieutenant J. S. Watt, D.F.C., in April, Turner flew sorties against Frankfurt, Mannheim, Stettin and Stuttgart, prior to completing his operational tour with a strike against Bochum on 13 May 1943. He was awarded the D.F.M.

Commissioned as a Pilot Officer in June 1943, he was advanced to Flight Lieutenant in June 1945 and was placed on the Reserve of Officers in April 1947.