Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Flying Officer (Navigator) T. E. Archard, 50 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who took part in the Nuremberg Raid, 30-31 March 1944, and was killed in action when his Lancaster was shot down over Poivres whilst on a bombing raid to Mailly-le-Camp, on 3-4 May 1944

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. E. Archard, “Beaufort House”, 16 Lansdowne Road, Worcester’, extremely fine (4) £300-£400

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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Theodore Edward Archard was born in Paris in 1912 and was granted an emergency Commission in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 2 January 1943. He served during the Second World War as a Navigator with 50 Squadron, joining with his crew directly from Number 5 Lancaster Finishing School on 24 March 1944. He flew his first operational sortie on 25-26 March 1944, bombing the rail marshalling yards at Aulnoye, and then followed this up with a baptism of fire on the Nuremberg raid of 30-31 March.

The Nuremberg Raid by Martin Middlebrook is dedicated to Archard, and states:
‘The operation was nearly over. By 0715 only two aircraft remained in the air. it had been a most difficult night for Sergeant Handley of 50 Squadron and his inexperienced crew on only their second operation. Handley had wandered around for some time in bad weather looking for a place to land and he finally found safety at Winthorpe, near Newark. The tired pilot made a bad landing and ran off the end of the runway. The Lancaster tipped onto its nose, which was smashed in, and the two inboard propellors were bent but no one was hurt.
The navigator in Handley’s crew was Flying Officer Theodore Archard who was a close friend of my family and a frequent visitor to our house when I was a young boy. He was a bachelor, a very religious man and he insisted on volunteering for flying duties although he was in a reserved occupation and at thirty two, older than most aircrew. I admired him immensely and it was his death, with the remainder of Sergeant Handley’s crew in another disastrous raid at Mailly-Le-Camp five weeks after Nuremberg, that later aroused my interest in Bomber Command. The result is this book is dedicated to my friend Theo Archard.’

Between March and May 1944 Archard took part in a further 11 operational sorties including Tours, Aachen, Schweinfurt ball bearing plant, St. Medard en Jalles arms works (twice), and St Martin Du Touch - the Toulouse aircraft plant. He was killed in action when Lancaster ED870, piloted by Pilot Officer A. Handley, was shot down and crashed over Poivres, whilst on a bombing raid to the German military base at Mailly-Le-Camp, on 3-4 May 1944. All the crew were killed.

The Bomber Command War Diaries by Martin Middlebrook states:
‘Late on 3 May 1944, 346 Lancasters of 1 and 5 Groups along with pathfinder Mosquitoes attacked the large German military base at Mailly-Le-Camp. The control of this raid in the target area failed to operate according to plan. The initial low level markers were accurate and well backed up by Lancaster marker aircraft. The Marker leader (Wing Commander G. L. Cheshire) ordered the main force to come in and bomb but the main force Controller (Wing Commander L. C. Deane) could not transmit the order to do so to the waiting Lancasters because his VHF set was being drowned by an American Forces Broadcast and his transmitter was wrongly tuned. German fighters arrived during the delay and bomber casualties were heavy.
The main attack eventually started when Deputy Controller (Squadron Leader E. N. M. Sparks) took over. Approximately 1500 tons of bombs were dropped with great accuracy. 114 barrack buildings, 47 transport sheds and some ammunition buildings in the camp were hit; 102 vehicles including 37 tanks were destroyed 218 German soldiers were killed and 156 were injured.’

Because of the delay Luftwaffe Night Fighters arrived in force and managed to shoot down 42 Lancasters. 50 Squadron lost four aircraft during this operation with 24 crewman losing their lives.

Archard is buried alongside his crew in Poivres Churchyard, France. His medals were sent to his mother, Mrs. Maude Elizabeth Archard.

Sold with a photograph believed to be of the recipient exiting Lancaster LM429 after a raid on Aachen on 11-12 April 1944; two letters from Martin Middlebrook regarding the recipient; and copied research.