Orders, Decorations and Medals

An immediate Second World War D.S.O. group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant J. A. Wainwright, No. 463 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Air Force, for the last Lancaster raid of the War
Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated 1945, lacking top suspension brooch; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D.; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Cyprus (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.) the group mounted as worn, together with three original ‘Observer’s and Air Gunner’s’ Flying Log Books covering the period March 1942 to October 1959, generally very fine (6)

D.S.O. London Gazette 3 August, 1945:
“On the night of April 25/26, 1945, these officers (F/O J. A. Wainwright and F/O A. Cox, also awarded the D.S.O.) and Sgt. G. W. Simpson (awarded the C.G.M.) were pilot, navigator and flight engineer of a Lancaster bomber (JO-2), detailed to attack the heavily defended oil refinery target at Tonsberg, near Oslo, Norway.
When nearing the target the aircraft was attacked and severely damaged by an enemy fighter. F/O Cox and Sgt. Simpson sustained injuries but nevertheless remained at their posts. The nose of the aircraft was shattered and gaping holes were torn in the fuselage. The windows of the pilot’s compartment were blown out and much equipment was lost. The bomb sight was rendered useless and the bomb-aimer badly wounded. It was therefore impossible to bomb the target with any accuracy.
The aircraft began to lose height and it seemed as though it would have to be abandoned, however, F/O Cox succeeded in regaining control. He then skillfully manoeuvred the aircraft enabling the gunners to attack the enemy aircraft which was shot down in flames. Meanwhile, despite suffering intense pain from their injuries and from severe frostbite caused to their hands by the bitter winds blowing through the open nose of the aircraft, F/O Wainwright and Sgt. Simpson did everything possible to assist their pilot in his endeavour to fly the crippled aircraft to a friendly airfield. After much difficulty they eventually reached Satenas airfield (near Linkoping) in Sweden where a skillful landing was made. The coolness, courage and devotion to duty of these officers and airman were an inspiration to their squadron.”
The raid on the oil refinery and tankerage at Vallo (Tonsberg) was 463 Squadron’s last operational mission of the War and the very last raid carried out by Lancaster bombers. Of the one hundred and nineteen Lancasters despatched, just Lancaster JO-2 failed to return. Wainwright returned to England on 13 May, courtesy of a B.O.A.C. Dakota.
John Wainwright completed his first operational tour with No. 467 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron, flying on 26 raids over Germany and Italy between April and October 1943. After a period of training with 29 O.T.U. he joined No. 463 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron and completed a further 16 raids, including one on the Urft Dam. In all of these raids Wainwright flew as Navigator of the aircraft. After the war he graduated to Canberra bombers and amassed nearly 1000 hours flying time in these aircraft. Wainwright retired from the Royal Air Force on 8 November, 1965. In addition to his three flying log books the lot includes his personal account of the Tonsberg raid and other research and photographs.