Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The 1934 Sandhurst v. Cranwell Boxing Prize Medal awarded to Group Captain D. P. D. G. Kelly, D.F.C., Royal Air Force, who served with 74 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, with one confirmed victory, and later in North Africa, where he added to his tally and was four times Mentioned in Despatches

Sandhurst v. Cranwell Prize Medal, 45mm, silvered, the obverse featuring the coats of arms of the two Colleges, the reverse inscribed ‘Boxing 1934 Feather-Weight Winner D P D G Kelly’ within wreath, in Phillips, Aldershot, case, nearly extremely fine £80-£120

Dillon Piers Denis Gerard Kelly was born on 4 August 1915 and educated at Beaumont College, Windsor. He entered the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in September 1933 as a Flight Cadet, and whilst there excelled as a Boxer. Commissioned Pilot Officer on 27 July 1935, he joined 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at Farnborough, and was appointed ‘B’ Flight Commander in August 1938.

At the outbreak of the Second War Kelly was posted to HQ British Air Forces in France, arriving on 15 January 1940. On 15 June 1940, while delivering some documents by air, he discovered twelve Hurricanes parked unattended on the airfield at Angers in Brittany. He had only flown the type once before but managed to fly one to the airfield at Nantes, where 1 Squadron were based. They recovered the remaining Hurricanes and Kelly flew with the squadron until its withdrawal from France to England on 18 June. The day previously he had flown a patrol over the R.M.S. Lancastria as it sank off St. Nazaire; if not flying with 1 Squadron he would have been aboard it, and would likely have perished.

Kelly went to 7 O.T.U. at Hawarden on 1 July 1940 where he converted to Spitfires and then joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on 15 July 1940. He was made ‘B’ Flight Commander on 23 July and he destroyed a Me109 on the 28 July. He relinquished his command on 31 August and was posted to 6 O.T.U. at Sutton Bridge on 8 September as an instructor. He became Officer Commanding ‘D’ Flight there on the 28 September.

In late January 1941 Kelly went to 604 Squadron at Middle Wallop. He moved to 93 Squadron, then also at Middle Wallop, in April and in late November of that year he joined 125 Squadron at Fairwood Common. He was next given command of 255 Squadron, operating Beaufighters at Coltishall, in December 1941. He led the squadron to North Africa in November 1942, and during the nights of 14-15 and 17-18 December he destroyed two Ju88's. The earlier sortie was carried out in Beaufighter VIF V8462 and a piece of the disintegrating bomber struck the port wing, stopping the port engine and forcing a return of some 70 miles on one engine. The Beaufighter landed to one side of the runway to avoid blocking it but in doing so struck a parked Hurricane, writing off both aircraft. Kelly and Flight-Lieutenant Lammer escaped with minor injuries but were thereafter lauded by the squadron for scoring ‘three confirmed’ in one night.

In late March 1943 Kelly was posted to HQ North Africa Air Forces as Officer in Charge night operations. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (London Gazette 21 May 1943) and returned to the UK in January 1944, attending the Staff College in August. For his services during the Second World War he was four times Mentioned in Despatches.

Following the cessation of hostilities Kelly was the R.A.F. representative on the Allied Control Commission in Finland until August 1948, when he was posted to 5 P.D.C. at Waterbeach. A further Staff college course was followed by a stint at the Air Ministry which ended in August 1951. He returned to flying, converting to jets at 22 FTS and 226 OTU at Middleton St. George then going on to appointments at Gutersloh and Ahlhorn in Germany which ended in December 1954. The following year he was appointed Chief Instructor, School of Land/Air Warfare, which after two years led to a Staff position at HQ 13 Group, followed by his final posting to Supreme HQ Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). He retired as a Group Captain on 7 October 1961, and died on 11 February 1987.