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

A Second World War Mosquito pilot’s D.F.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant N. E. Litchfield, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who participated in 90 sorties as a Path Finder, more often than not in the role of “Marker”

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverses of the Cross and the Bar both officially dated 1945, with its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals extremely fine (5) £1600-1800

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

View
Collection

D.F.C. London Gazette 16 February 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Litchfield joined the Path Finder Force in May 1944. Since then he has completed 57 sorties, with no less than 45 in the role of Marker. His work during the whole of this period has been excellent and he has in all these sorties displayed a cool courage and tenacity of purpose that has been a grand example to his fellows. His skill as a pilot and his ability to handle any situation in his capacity of Captain of Aircraft has enabled him to bring many of his sorties to a successful end, despite the most adverse conditions.’



Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 21 September 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Flight Lieutenant Litchfield has completed another 33 sorties and has continued to show himself to be a cool and efficient pilot. Despite enemy opposition and adverse weather, he has always pressed home his attacks with outstanding courage and determination.’

Norman Eric Litchfield, who was born in April 1918, enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as an Aircraftman 2nd Class in November 1940. Re-mustered for pilot training in in July 1941, he was subsequently commissioned as a Pilot Officer and served as a Flying Instructor at various units until attending an O.T.U. and Mosquito conversion course in early 1944. Then in May he was posted to No. 105 Squadron, part of No. 8 Path Finder Force, a Mosquito unit operating out of Bourn, Cambridgeshire.

Litchfield flew his first sortie with the Squadron on the 26th, and went on to complete a remarkable tally of 90 operations between then and early 1945, many in the role of Marker and in daylight.

Inevitably, to begin with at least, he was assigned to numerous targets in Northern France, his Flying Log Book revealing a constant flurry of activity against railways and enemy rocket sites - on the eve of D-Day he was assigned to a coastal battery at Houlgate. Thereafter, especially on his second tour of operations, he flew a punishing round of sorties against German targets. Among other entries in his Flying Log Books may be found references to intense flak over Schloven on the night of 9-10 July 1944 (‘Holed port engine and aileron’), and again over Duisberg on the night of 14-15 October 1944 (‘Badly damaged by heavy accurate flak’). Equally hair-raising was the occasion when his Mosquito was coned by the searchlights over Bremen for a full four minutes on night of 18-19 February 1945.

A detailed account of the work carried out by No. 105 Squadron - and its sister Oboe unit, No. 109 - maybe found in Sharp’s and Bowyer’s Mosquito, a definitive history that summarises their combined operational record thus:

‘It is impossible to measure the contribution the Oboe Mosquitoes of a mere two squadrons made to winning the war, but certain it is that a handful of crews contributed greatly and out of proportion to their number. They made possible accurate and effective bombing and, as had been forecast, with amazingly low losses.’

Litchfield was released from the Service as a Flight Lieutenant in early 1946.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods July 1941 to September 1944 and September 1944 to December 1945; Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for the D.F.C.; and Path Finder Force Badge certificate of award, dated 1 August 1944.