Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Flight Sergeant (Flight Engineer) D. H. G. Tiley, 640 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action when his Halifax was shot down by night fighter over the target area in the very last raid on Cologne, on 2 March 1945

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘L. M. Tiley Mrs., 1 Highland Terrace, Morris Lane, Blackwood, Mon.’, extremely fine (3) £400-£500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties.

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Donald Henry George Tiley served during the Second World War as a Flight Engineer with 640 Squadron, flying Halifaxes- he joined the Squadron on 8 August 1944, and between August 1944 and March 1945 took part in 26 operational sorties including attacks on such targets as Gelsenkirchen, the Watton flying bomb sites, La Pourchinte V2 rocket sites, Sterkrade, Kiel, Duisberg (Operation Hurricane), the Krupps works at Essen, Osnabruck, and Saarbrucken.

Tiley was killed in action when Halifax NP965, piloted by Flight Lieutenant K. Robinson, D.F.M., was shot down over Namur Province, Belgium, whilst returning from a raid on Cologne, on 2 March 1945, on what had been a highly successful last raid on the city. It is known that ME262 jet fighters were operating in this area at this time. All the crew were killed. American forces captured Cologne 4 days after this raid, and the war ended just over eight weeks later.

Tiley is buried along side his crew in Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. His medals were sent to his widow, L. M. Tiley.

Sold with copied research.