Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

A most unusual Second World War operational A.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant A. R. Burchett, Royal Air Force, who participated in the famous Hamburg ‘firestorm’ raids prior to making the supreme sacrifice on a raid to Frankfurt in December 1943, when his magnificent bravery allowed three of his crew to bale out

Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse dated 1944, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals, in named card box of issue with condolence slip, extremely fine (5) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Men of Bomber Command 1939-45.

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A.F.C. London Gazette 1.1.1944. The immediate award recommendation states:

‘On the night of 30 August 1943, this Officer was Captain of an aircraft which attacked a target at Munchen-Gladbach. On the return flight, while in the neighbourhood of Ossington at about 4000 feet, Flying Officer Burchett’s aircraft was involved in a collision with a Lancaster. Both port propellors were badly damaged, the port fin and rudder knocked off, one propellor of the Lancaster cutting through the top of the fuselage, the flaps rendered unserviceable and the tail turret damaged. The port outer engine was feathered but the port inner engine continued to give some thrust. All three motors were therefore opened up fully and it was found that control could be maintained with full aileron and rudder flying at 180 miles per hour, though losing height. At any less speed the aircraft became uncontrolllable. It was decided to make an emergency landing at Ossington and an approach was made at 185 I.A.S. with wheels down but without flap. In spite of the fact that the aircraft swung uncontrollably as soon as the motors were cut out, and that the runway was only 1400 yards long, the aircraft was successfully landed without further damage. In performing this feat Flying Officer Burchett showed superb skill and courage.’

Flight Lieutenant Arthur R. “Bill” Burchett, A.F.C., a Halifax pilot, commenced his operational tour with No. 51 Squadron with a sortie to Aachen on the night of 13-14 July 1943. Between then and his death in action in December of the same year, he acted as Captain of Aircraft on 19 missions, the raid on Hamburg on the night of 27-28 July being among the more notable - his aircraft’s entry in the Squadron’s Operational Record Book describes the whole target area as a ‘mass of flames ... the glow from the fires could be seen for close on 200 miles on the way back.’ Burchett and his crew would return there two nights later, and again on the night of 3-4 August, the latter strike marking the end of a concerted effort that resulted in the famous ‘firestorm’ that caused over 40,000 casualties.

Later that month, on a trip to Berlin on the night of 23rd-24th, his Halifax was badly shot up by an enemy night fighter, an incident once more described in the Squadron’s Operational Record Book:

‘Just as the target was approached, an enemy night fighter attacked a Halifax on the starboard side. This Halifax took evasive action and the enemy then turned on our own aircraft. Enemy opened fire at 300 yards, and was replied to by both Gunners, who fired about 200 rounds each. During the attack the Flight Engineer and Rear-Gunner were wounded, and the aircraft sustained damage to the tailplane, rear turret and mainplane, and intercom which became unserviceable. Regardless of this, our Halifax threw off the attacker, who was not seen again, and then went on to bomb the target. The Flight Engineer and Rear-Gunner have been recommended for immediate Distinguished Flying Medals as a result of their devotion to duty in carrying on though wounded.’

It was shortly after this engagement - and an uneventful sortie flown to Nuremburg on the night of 27-28 August - that Burchett won his immediate A.F.C. The period September to November witnessed raids on Cannes, Frankfurt, Kassel (twice), Mannheim, Munich and Hannover (thrice). Tragically, however, Burchett’s luck ran out in December, on a raid to Frankfurt on the night of the 20th, an incident best described by fellow crew member, Flight Sergeant Brookes:

‘About 30 miles from the target I looked out of the astro dome and I saw another Halifax on the port side above, too close for comfort. I told the skipper [Arthur Burchett] and he said “Thanks, Ted,” and moved our aircraft to starboard. Just after this there was an explosion on the starboard side. It sounded like glass bottles bursting and a handful of gravel being thrown on the wing. Arthur called out “Flak” and then checked with each one of us in turn to see that we had not been hit. Then the starboard outer engine burst into flames. We stopped the engine and operated the fire extinguisher button but this had no effect. Then we were hit in the bomb bay and this caught fire, so we jettisoned the bomb load. The Wireless Operator and I were trying to put out the fire when Arthur told Pilot Officer Widdowson [who was a passenger that night] to go because he was in the way. I cannot understand why he did not survive since he went out long before we did. By this time we were coned by the searchlights and there was no way we could continue. The skipper ordered “Abandon” and I was left standing by his side, helping him as best I could. Then he pointed to the port outer engine which had also caught fire and said “Get out, Ted.” The Navigator later said he didn’t know how I made it because we were already at 500 feet when he left. Arthur must have known that when he let go of the control column he wouldn’t have had time to make it to the escape hatch, but he sat there as calmly as if he was driving a bus down the main road. He made the supreme sacrifice for his crew. I wonder how many times this happened over Germany? As I left [to bale out] I looked down towards the rear and I remember seeing red, woolly balls of fire bouncing around inside the fuselage ... as I left the aircraft I could see a long, long trail of fire behind it, like a comet ...’

Mr. and Mrs. Burchett attended an Investiture at Buckingham Palace on 20 February 1945, the former receiving from the King his late son’s A.F.C. It would not be until September 1947, however, that the Air Ministry were in a position to confirm to his parents his last resting place:

‘The aircraft in which he was flying crashed on the bank of the River Main between Raunheim and Russelsheim at about 7.45 p.m. on 20 December 1943, and the four crew members who lost their lives were buried several days later in the cemetery at Raunheim. Individual identification was unhappily impossible and our Officers in Germany have been instructed to have the graves marked collectively with the service particulars of all four crew members ...’

The gallant Burchett, who was 24 years of age, now rests in the Durnbach British Cemetery.

Sold with a poignant series of contemporary War Graves correspondence with the recipient’s family, including early cemetery photographs; the 1914-15 Star trio awarded to his father, Warrant Officer A. Burchett, 1st F.A.B., Australian Imperial Forces; original and extremely informative correspondence with two of his crew members written in the mid-1990s, much of it of a poignant nature; and a copy of Halifax, by K.A. Merrick, in which the recipient’s damaged aircraft is depicted.