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

A well-documented Second World War pilot’s D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flying Officer T. C. Shiel, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1945; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, with campaign medal forwarding box, generally extremely fine (5) £1000-1200

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.F.C. London Gazette 20 March 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Warrant Officer Shiel was posted to this unit [No. 37 Squadron] on 6 July 1944, and has completed 39 operational sorties against targets in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Northern Italy and Yugoslavia.

Many important oil targets have been attacked, including Pardubice, two attacks on the Romana-Americana Oil Refinery at Ploesti, one against the Xenia Oil Refinery at Ploesti and two against the Bucharest Prahova Refineries.

On the night of 21-22 July 1944, Warrant Officer Shiel took off to attack the Pardubice Oil Refineries. The route to the target necessitated passing twice through the Vienna night fighter belt and two sightings of enemy aircraft were made, and, on each occasion, excellent crew co-operation saved the aircraft from damage and possible destruction. On arrival at the target area no target markers were seen and Warrant Officer Shiel spent fifteen minutes trying to locate the target under scattered flares. During this period an Me. 110 was sighted and evasive action taken. Eventually Red Target Markers were dropped by the Target Marking Force and Warrant Officer Shiel bombed the main concentration.

On the night of 23-24 July 1944, Warrant Officer Shiel was briefed to attack the Prahova Oil Refineries at Bucharest. On the way to the target no fewer than six sightings of enemy night fighters were made, which necessitated evasive action in two cases. In spite of this, Warrant Officer Shiel arrived at the target on time and, on breaking cloud, located the target and bombed successfully.

The most successful result of good crew co-operation was on the night of 21 November 1944, during an attack on the Szombathely Marshalling Yards. One of the target marking aircraft having been shot down by night fighters, the bombing aircraft were forced to locate the target for themselves and it was soon evident that there was considerable night fighter activity in the area, no fewer than five aircraft being seen to be shot down. Warrant Officer Shiel, however, remained in the target area and eventually bombed as accurately as he could under the very poor conditions of illumination and visibility. On leaving the target, the Rear Gunner reported a Ju. 88 closing in from the port quarter and gave Warrant Officer Shiel the order to corkscrew starboard in order to keep the enemy aircraft silhouetted in the flares. Warrant Officer Shiel commenced his corkscrew and on the second attack the Rear Gunner and Wireless Operator reported seeing tracer passing through the Ju. 88. The enemy aircraft then dived steeply away and an aircraft was seen to crash on the ground some seconds later. Warrant Officer Shiel was credited with this aircraft as ‘Probably Destroyed’.

Warrant Officer Shiel has, by his leadership, built up an excellent crew and throughout his tour has shown undiminished keenness to operate and outstanding devotion to duty and I recommend he be rewarded by the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Thomas Cawthorne Shiel, who was born in July 1921 and enlisted in the Royal Air Force in June 1940, completed his pilot training in Canada. Posted to No. 37 Squadron, a Wellington unit, at Tortorella, Italy in early July 1944, he flew his first operational sortie on the night of 8th-9th, against the oil refinery at Brod Bosanki, Yugoslavia. Between then and late December Shiel completed 38 more operational sorties, quite a few of them of the eventful kind, as evidenced by the above recommendation and by some of the pencilled notes he attached to 23 target photographs which accompany the Lot:

16-17 July 1944: Smederevo Oil Refinery, Yugoslavia: ‘Opposition - intense light flak. Losses 3 aircraft. Hit by flak. Crash-landing on runway with burst tyres.’

26-27 July 1944: Romana-Americana Oil Refinery: ‘G.C.I. and cat’s eye night fighters from Danube to target, at target very intense and very accurate heavy flak in three box barrages, over 200 searchlights working in conjunction, forced to fly through main barrage, 2 night fighter attacks fought off by evasive action, 8 aircraft lost.’

9-10 August 1944: Romana-Americana Oil Refinery: ‘G.C.I. and cat’s eye night fighters, intense heavy flak, 200 searchlights, fighter flares covered complete target area, 24 aircraft turned back, 21 aircraft lost.’

17-18 August 1944: Xenia Oil Refinery: ‘Night fighters from Danube to target area, intense heavy flak (estimated at 300 searchlights), two attacks by fighters evaded successfully, 12 aircraft lost.’

21-22 August 1944: Szony Oil Refinery: ‘2 fighters attacked during run into target, evaded successfully, 2 attacks on way out, evasive action again successful in shaking them off, intense medium flak on route out, close shave with two strings.’

21-22 November 1944: Szombathely: ‘No flak, very heavy fighter opposition, 8 aircraft lost, had 5 encounters with night fighters, succeeded in shooting down one J.U. 88, confirmed by M.A.A.F. H.Q.’

Having completed his operational tour, Shiel was posted to No. 210 Group H.Q. Communications Flight, attached to No. 218 Group, and in April 1945 he was similarly employed at M.A.A.F. H.Q. He was finally released in the rank of Flying Officer in July 1946.

In addition to the above mentioned target photographs, the Lot is also sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Book, covering the period November 1941 to December 1945; Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for the D.F.C.; R.A.F. Service and Release Book; R.A.F. Flying Clothing Card; Graduation Banquet menu (Virden, Manitoba, 15 January 1942); and further contemporary documents and wartime photographs, the latter including a small album of images from training days in Canada.