Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The ‘Battle of Britain’ Caterpillar Club Badge issued to Group Captain T. F. Dalton-Morgan, D.S.O., O.B.E., D.F.C. and Bar, Royal Air Force, the famous fighter ace, who, as ‘B’ Flight Commander of the celebrated 43 Squadron, based at Tangmere, scored 7 kills and 1 shared flying Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain: his membership of the Caterpillar Club being gained on a notable occasion in August 1940 when, having just shot down a Heinkel, he was forced to bale out of his damaged Hurricane over Petworth. With no badges of rank in evidence – he was wearing his pyjamas under his flying suit – he was arrested by a policeman and placed in the cells along with the German bomber crew he had just downed. His D.S.O. in 1943 came after his 17th confirmed kill

Caterpillar Club Badge, gold caterpillar with painted ‘ruby’ eyes, the reverse inscribed, ‘FLt TF Dalton-Morgan’ extremely fine £600-£800

D.S.O. London Gazette 25 May 1943:
‘Since being awarded a Bar to the D.F.C. in May, 1941, this officer has destroyed four enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to 17 aircraft destroyed.’

D.F.C. London Gazette 6 September 1940:
‘This officer has shown great resolution as a fighter pilot and has led his flight, and at times his squadron, with conspicuous success. He has displayed great courage and determination in the face of heavy enemy odds, and has destroyed seven enemy aircraft. His behaviour in action has been an inspiration to the pilots in his flight.’

D.F.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette 30 May 1941:
‘This officer has displayed exceptional skill both as a squadron commander and an individual fighter. During two consecutive nights in May 1941, he destroyed three enemy aircraft bringing his total victories to 13. Squadron Leader Morgan has contributed in a large measure to the high standard of operational efficiency of the squadron.’

Thomas Frederick Dalton-Morgan was born in 1917 at Cardiff and educated at Taunton School, Somerset. He was a descendant of the buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan and the Cromwellian General Sir Thomas Morgan. He joined the Royal Air Force on a Short Service Commission in 1935 and, after completing his training, served with 22 Squadron, flying the Wildebeeste torpedo bomber. He joined the training staff at the Air Ministry in 1939 but in April 1940 he applied to return to flying and in June 1940 was posted to Tangmere as B Flight commander with 43 Squadron. On 3 July he damaged a Do17, on the 12 and 13 July he shared in the destruction of a He111 and on the 21 July he destroyed one Me109 and damaged another. On 8 August he destroyed a Me109, a Ju87 and probably another and on the 13 August he shot down a He111. In this engagement, Morgan’s Hurricane, P3972, was damaged by cross-fire and he was forced to bale out over Petworth with slight wounds. With no badges of rank in evidence - he was wearing pyjamas under his flying suit - he was captured by a policeman who placed him in the cells along with the German bomber crew he had just shot down. Dalton-Morgan resumed flying and was soon back in action, accounting for four more enemy aircraft in the next three weeks. In early September, he shot down three Messerschmitt fighters. After one engagement he was wounded in the face and knee, and had to crash-land. He was rewarded with the D.F.C.

After the Battle of Britain, Dalton-Morgan's primary task was to train new pilots for service with the squadrons in the south. He was also required to establish a night-fighting capability with the Hurricane, a task he achieved with great success. Few enemy night bombers fell victim to single-seat fighter pilots, but Dalton-Morgan, hunting alone, destroyed no fewer than six. Three of his victims went down in successive nights on 6-7 May 1941, when the Luftwaffe embarked on a major offensive against the Clydesdale ports and Glasgow. For his services he was awarded a Second Award Bar to his D.F.C.

On 8 June Dalton-Morgan achieved a remarkable interception when he shot down a Junkers bomber, having made initial contact by spotting its shadow on the moonlit sea. After two more successes at night, he was carrying out a practice interception on 24 July with a fellow pilot when he saw another Junkers. Dalton-Morgan gave chase and intercepted it off May Island. Despite his engine failing and fumes filling the cockpit, he attacked the bomber three times. He had just watched it hit the sea when his engine stopped. Too low to bale out, he made a masterly landing on the water, but lost two front teeth when his face hit the gun sight. He clambered into his dinghy before being rescued by the Royal Navy destroyer H.M.S. Ludlow.

In January 1942 Dalton-Morgan left the squadron to become a Controller. Promoted Wing Commander Operations with 13 Group, he then led the Ibsley Wing, consisting of 4 Spitfire, 2 Whirlwind, and 2 Mustang Squadrons. His final victory in May 1943 brought his score to 17. Briefly attached to the U.S.A.A.F. 4th Fighter Group, he was tasked with mounting long-range offensive sorties over northern France and providing scouts for the tactical bomber squadrons. After damaging an Me 109 in December, he shot down a Focke Wulf 190 fighter and damaged another during a sweep over Brest.

Dalton-Morgan was awarded the D.S.O. in May 1943, which recorded his victories at the time as 17, and he flew more than 70 combat sorties with the group. Promoted Group Captain early in 1944, he served as operations officer with the 2nd Tactical Air Force. He engaged in planning fighter and ground attack operations in support of the campaign in Normandy, then moved to the mainland with his organisation after the invasion. Years after, his CO at the time (later Air Marshal Sir Fred Rosier) commented: ’It would be impossible to overstate Tom Dalton-Morgan's importance and influence on the conduct of fighter operations for and beyond D-Day’.

A month before the end of the war in Europe, Dalton-Morgan learned that his only brother, John, who also had the D.F.C., had been shot down and killed flying a Mosquito. Dalton-Morgan remained in Germany with 2nd Tactical Air Force after the war before attending the R.A.F. Staff College, and becoming a senior instructor at the School of Land/Air Warfare. Later he commanded the Gutersloh Wing, flying Vampire jets, before taking command of R.A.F. Wunsdorf. He was appointed O.B.E. in 1945 and Mentioned in Despatches in 1946, the year President Harry Truman awarded him the US Bronze Star. Group Captain Dalton-Morgan died in Australia aged 87, on 18 September 2004.

Sold together with a hard bound presentation copy of all of the recipient’s Flying Log Books, covering the period August 1935 - October 1944.
Although Dalton-Morgan was credited officially with 17 kills, it is thought that he scored many more as he regularly flew off the record and attributed kills to other pilots. His log book reveals official R.A.F. claims of 22 Destroyed, 10 probably destroyed and 12 damaged together with U.S.A.F. claims of 7 destroyed plus more probables and damaged. These are in addition to numerous ground and sea targets destroyed.