Awards to the Royal Air Force from the estate of the late Eric Campion

A rare Second World War pilot’s D.S.O., D.F.C. and immediate Bar group of eight awarded to Wing Commander D. F. E. C. Dean, Royal Air Force, late Territorial Army, who latterly served as C.O. of No. 35 Squadron, Path Finder Force

Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., the reverse of the lower suspension bar officially dated 1944; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated 1942 and the reverse of the Bar officially dated 1943; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; U.S.A. Silver Star, the inside of the lower left star point officially numbered ‘112699’ good very fine and better (8) £2000-2500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Royal Air Force from the estate of the late Eric Campion.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 7 January 1944. The recommendation states:

‘This Officer has commanded his Squadron [No. 35] with notable success over a long period. He has taken part in operations against some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany and has at all times displayed keenness and courage of a high order. His enthusiasm and ability are reflected in the excellent work done by the whole Squadron and the high standard that it has reached is largely due to his fine example. He is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Service Order.’

D.F.C. London Gazette 26 June 1942. The recommendation states:

‘This Officer has shown vigour and determination in all the attacks he has carried out throughout a completed operational tour. His quiet and very pleasing nature has been an influence of the very greatest value throughout his duty with the Squadron [No. 77 Squadron]. When, as a 2nd Pilot, he had the misfortune to land in the North Sea, his courage and cheerful spirit under the most arduous conditions proved of great help to the fellow members of his crew. I have no hesitation in recommending that his fine operational record be recognised by the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 6 April 1943. The immediate recommendation states:

‘When engaged upon an operational sortie against St. Nazaire on the 28 February 1943, Squadron Leader Dean’s port outer engine failed half way across the English Channel. With the propeller feathered he continued on his mission and approaching the target area at 9,000 feet, his aircraft was picked up and held by searchlights and subject to A.A. fire. Undeterred, Squadron Leader Dean continued to press home his attack and successfully bombed his target. A few minutes after leaving the target area the starboard inner engine failed also and the propeller was feathered.

Descending, with the crew at ditching stations, height was eventually maintained at 3,000 feet on course for Exeter. Approaching the coast 10/10 cloud was encountered but homing searchlights were seen through the cloud tops and descent was made over a cone. Breaking cloud, an aerodrome was identified with difficulty due to low cloud and circled at 3,000 feet. No indication of the direction of the landing could be seen nor were they able to establish air to ground R.T. communication, but the approach and landing were executed successfully, although the aircraft over-ran the end of the runway on to rough ground and was damaged. The length of the runway was 1,100 yards, with an appreciable slope, and the landing had to be made down wind.

With commendable courage and skill this Officer fulfilled the allotted task though heavily handicapped, and then under still greater difficulties returned to a coastal aerodrome and landed in very adverse weather conditions. Squadron Leader Dean’s determination and courage on this occasion is deserving of the highest praise, and in recognition he is recommended for the immediate award of the Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 2 June 1943.

Donald Frederick Edgar Charles Dean, the eldest son of an Alderman and Mayor of the Borough of St. Marylebone, London, was educated at the City of London School. A pre-war Officer in the Territorial Army, he was mobilised with the 90th City of London Field Artillery Regiment on the outbreak of hostilities, but transferred to the Royal Air Force in the following year.

Qualifying as a pilot, and commissioned in March 1940, he was posted to No. 77 Squadron, a Whitley unit operating out of Topcliffe, Yorkshire in June 1941. Dean went on to complete a busy tour of operations, the whole, with few exceptions, against heavily defended German targets, among them Aachen (twice), Berlin (twice), Cologne (thrice), Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Kiel, Mannheim and Wilhelshaven (thrice). Another target visited by Dean during his time with No. 77 was Bremen, on the night of 27-28 June, when out of an attacking force of 35 Whitleys, 11 were lost. The weather conditions that night were exceedingly poor and Dean’s aircraft was among those compelled to ditch in the sea. His pilot was killed, but Dean, then acting as 2nd Pilot, and the remaining crew, survived three days afloat in an open dinghy until picked up by an motor launch. He was advanced to Flight Lieutenant in March 1942 and awarded the D.F.C.

Returning to the operational scene with No. 35 Squadron, a Path Finder Force unit operating in Lancasters out of Graveley, in February 1943, Dean completed sorties to Nuremburg and St. Nazaire in the same month. And, as outlined in the above recommendation, it was for bringing home his aircraft on two engines from the latter operation, on the night of the 28th-29th, that he was awarded an immediate Bar to his D.F.C. March saw Dean visiting Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Essen, the latter operation, on the night of the 5th-6th, marking the first use of Oboe - extensive damage was inflicted on the famous Krupps works and over 150 acres of the city devastated. And the period April to June witnessed him participating in strikes against Duisberg (twice) and Munster. Mentioned in despatches in the latter month, he was advanced to Squadron Leader that July.

Then in August Dean completed sorties to Mannheim, Turin and St. Nazaire, and, in the following month, he acted as “Master of Ceremonies” in a highly successful strike against the Dunlop factory situated at Montlucon in Central France on 15 September - every building within the factory complex was damaged. Appointed C.O. of No. 35 in the rank of Acting Wing Commander at the end of the month, Dean was recommended for the American Silver Star (P.R.O. AIR 2 refers):

‘This Officer on his second tour of operational duty, at present commands a heavy bomber squadron which is carrying out the highly important duties of Target Marking. His personal example, cheerfulness and courage have been an inspiration to the Squadron he commands, and his efforts have contributed in a large degree to the successful bomber offensive now being carried out. His personal skill and determination in attack are of the highest order. He is strongly recommended for the award of the Silver Star.’

No mention of the award has been traced in the London Gazette, so presumably Dean never applied for, or was granted, official permission to wear the award. In November 1944, the month in which he was “grounded” with an appointment as C.O. of a Path Finder Force training unit, he was further recommended for the D.S.O. He never again flew operationally, attained the substantive rank of Wing Commander in February 1945 and was placed on the Reserve List of Officers in October 1946.

Sold with the recipient’s original M.I.D. certificate and Path Finder Force badge and certificate, the latter dated 18 December 1943, in addition to one or two wartime newspaper cuttings.