Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War A.F.C. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant J. D. Benson, Royal Air Force

Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1944, in Royal Mint case of issue, with named Buckingham Palace enclosure, with outer OHMS envelope addressed to ‘Flight Lieutenant John D. Benson, A.F.C., Royal Air Force Station Alder Grove, Crumlin, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland’; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘F/Lt. J. D. Benson, R.A.F. Changi, Singapore.’; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Flt. Lt. J. D. Benson. R.A.F.) in named card box of issue; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (Flt. Lt. J. D. Benson. R.A.F.) in named card box of issue; together with the recipient’s rank shoulder insignia; riband bars; and a gold (9ct.) indentity bracelet, the obverse inscribed ‘561052 Benson J. D. R.A.F.’, the reverse engraved ‘With love to Benny, from Kathleen, 8.6.41’, about extremely fine (7) £1,800-£2,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1944.
The original Recommendation states: ‘This Officer commands 1613 (AAC) Flight and has displayed exceptional devotion to duty as a target towing pilot. During the last 3 years he has flown more than 1,500 hours on this work, and the satisfactory standard of the Flight is due to his untiring energy and personal example as a pilot. He has made a fine contribution to Anti-Aircraft training in a group which control nearly 40 units engaged on this form of co-operation throughout the United Kingdom. Among the units which have benefited from Flight Lieutenant Benson’s work are the R.A. Practice Camp at Whitby, the Humber Defences, and A.A. units of the field force in Northern Ireland.’

John Donald Benson was born in Devonport on 8 June 1911. He joined the Royal Air Force as an aircraft apprentice at R.A.F. Halton in January 1927, and having been advanced Sergeant, began pilot training on 1 November 1938. He was commissioned Pilot Officer on 1 May 1942, and served during the Second World War with 1613 Flight, based at various Yorkshire airfields, for which services he was awarded the Air Force Cross. Advanced Flight Lieutenant on 1 May 1944, he saw further service with 291, 690, and 290 Squadrons. Post-War he served in Malaya, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and retired in 1951. He died in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, on 27 February 1985.

Sold with the recipient’s two Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Books, containing his entire flying career, covering the period 1 November 1938 to 25 March 1951. The recipient has also recorded in his second Log Book various civilian commercial flights that he took as a passenger from 1976 to 1982, including re-visiting a number of aerodromes that he flew to as a pilot, but this time landing at Kai Tak and Changi as a passenger in a Boeing 747, rather than in a Dakota.