The Upfill-Brown Collection

A good Spitfire Pilot Battle of Britain A. F. C. group awarded to Wing Commander Guy Webster Cory, 41 Squadron, Royal Air Force

AIR FORCE CROSS, G. VI. R., reverse officially dated 1944; 1939-45 STAR, clasp, Battle of Britain; AIR CREW EUROPE STAR; DEFENCE and WAR MEDALS; GENERAL SERVICE 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (Act. Wg. Cdr., R.A.F.), mounted court sylefor display, nearly extremely fine (6)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The AA Upfill-Brown Collection.

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Sold with three Pilot's Flying Log Books covering the period March 1938 to March 1952, and a quantity of original photographs covering both the war and post-war periods. Wing Commander Guy Webster Cory, A.F.C., was born on 2 September 1916, and entered the R.A.F. on a short service commission in March 1938. His training took place at No.10 E.& R.F.T.S., Yatesbury, and No.11 F.T.S., Shawbury. In December, he joined No. 41 Squadron equipped with Spitfires, and was serving with the same unit at Catterick in June 1940. As the Battle of Britain intensified the Squadron moved south and, after a morning sortie on 5 September, he was able to record an early unencouraging tangle with the Luftwaffe. The entry reads, 'Force landed Hornchurch-slightly wounded-rudder shot away due to enemy action. ' He fared no better on the first of the six sorties he flew on the 7th, when he again forced landed at Hornchurch, 'due to cannon shell breaking up tail unit. ' Later in the day, however, he had his revenge, damaging a Dornier 215 and an Me 109. Finally on the 9th, he was able to claim his first kill- a Ju 88, but was himself forced down in the vicinity of Horsham. On the 23rd of the month he logged an 'Me 109 probably destroyed,' and remaining actively engaged throughout October noted '2 x 109's damaged' on the 25th of that month. In early 1941, Cory was posted to C.F.S., Upavon for an instructor's course, after which he went to 6 F.T.S., Little Rissingron. On 1 January 1944, he was awarded the A.F.C. and continued instructing. After the war he read English at Oxford and at some point commanded the University Air Squadron. In January 1952, he was Admin Officer at Kai Tak, Hong Kong. He retired from the R.A.F. on 24 July 1954, and died on 20 June 1981.