Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Flight Lieutenant D. E. R. Lang, Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Reserve, who, having flown Spitfires and Barracudas during the Second War, went on to pilot the Boeing B29 Superfortress (Washington) ELINT aircraft on covert missions against the Soviet Union during the Cold War - he later flew in the Oman, being awarded the A.F.C. in 1958 for his services

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt. D. E. R. Lang. R.A.F.); together with the recipient’s related miniature awards, including the A.F.C. (this a G.VI.R. type), these mounted as worn, slight edge bruising to last, very fine (5) £600-£800

A.F.C. London Gazette 12 June 1958.

Donald Eric Robert Lang was born in 1925 in Monmouthshire. He was commissioned Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force on 1 February 1944, flying Spitfires from December 1944 and was promoted to Flying Officer the same month. Navy Lists also record him as an Acting Sub Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from 5 June 1944. His log book sees him flying the Barracuda and Hellcat from January 1945 with the Fleet Air Arm 1791 and 1792 night fighter squadrons in the U.K., followed by the Fairey Firefly from April 1946 in the Mediterranean. He was released from Naval Service on 20 June 1946 and was commissioned permanent Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force on 3 August 1949 and Flight Lieutenant on 1 August 1950. In this period he flew the Anson, Oxford, Wellington and Lincoln as First Pilot (day and night).

Having already amassed a total of 2762 flying hours, on 1 October 1954, where his third log book begins, Lang is found with 192 Squadron flying the Boeing Washington B1 (The R.A.F. version of the RB29s ELINT variant of the Superfortress bomber) intelligence gathering aircraft. 192 Squadron, based at R.A.F. Watton, the home of the Central Signals Establishment, had been equipped with three of these aircraft since April 1952. A fourth standard bomber version was also sent to the squadron for crew training.

The ELINT Washingtons flew regular sorties along the fringes of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas, monitoring Russian radar and signal transmissions. The primary tasks of these aircraft were to intercept, analyse and plot the positions of Soviet radar stations; and to intercept Soviet radio communications (including transmissions between Soviet GCI and stations and fighters). One Washington achieved a particularly significant ‘take’ when it brought back the first recordings of the Soviet airborne intercept radar, the ‘Scan Odd’. Occasional sorties were also mounted along Russia’s Northern border with Norway. Although intercepted by Soviet fighter aircraft on many occasions, particularly over the Black Sea, none of the ELINT Washingtons were lost.

In September 1956 Lang was posted to 1417 (Communication) Flight, R.A.F. Bahrain (Muharraq Airfield), from where he flew the Pembroke around all the Gulf States. He commanded the R.A.F. guard of honour at the Bahrain Durbar on 4 January 1957.
A letter (see below) with the lot reveals an apparent close association with the Trucial Oman Scouts, most likely as a result of an action in October 1956 when the T.O.S. were involved in an armed clash at the disputed Buraimi Oasis. Two T.O.S. Field Squadrons were used, along with troops from the Sultan of Muscat and Oman personal guard to forcibly evict a 40 strong Saudi Arabian garrison of armed police based in an old fort and a village. There were nine fatal casualties and Lang records a CASEVAC (evacuation of casualties by air) flight on 19 October.

Still flying in the Gulf during the Central Oman Campaign, which began in July 1957, Lang made his last flight in the region on 19 September 1958 and was awarded the Air Force Cross, having completed over 1000 flying hours in the Gulf Region. He is also entitled to the Arabian Peninsula clasp to his General Service Medal.

Lang saw further service flying the Blackburn Beverley with No. 47 Squadron at R.A.F. Abingdon from March 1959 until May 1961 and was then posted as an examiner with the Transport Command Evaluation Unit flying the Hastings, Valetta, Devon and twin Pioneer as well as the Beverley, flights ranging from Germany to Hong Kong and Saigon, including container drops. On 23 February 1964 he piloted a Beverley from Khartoum to Khormaksar, and made his last flight, piloting a Dakota out of Khormaksar, on 25 February 1964. His logbook listing of ‘types flown’ also records flights in the single seat Gloster Meteor Jet fighter.

Flight Lieutenant Lang retired on 26 March 1964, after 21 years’ service, and 6,355 flying hours, having been continually rated ‘Exceptional Transport Command and light aircraft pilot’. Following his retirement he moved to the United States, possibly to pursue a civilian flying career.


Sold with the recipient’s Flying Log Books nos. 3,4 and 5 covering the period October 1954 to February 1964 (it is recorded that logbooks 1 and 2, March 43 - October 54, were lost during the move from Bahrain to UK in 1958); a letter written on Regimental Headquarters, Trucial Oman Scouts, Sharjah, letter headed paper, dated 13 June 1958 ‘Dear Ricky, Congratulations on your well earned A.F.C., from the Scouts and myself. I understand that your tour finishes soon, so I hope you will let us know and come and pay us a farewell call at Sharjah-by-the-Sea! Best Luck, signed...’; two testimonials, including one from Air Vice Marshal Fletcher; 11 photographs - many of the recipient in various circumstances and stages of his career; and an Invitation to the Buckingham Palace Investiture at which he was presented with his A.F.C. by the Queen.