Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War Bomber Command D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant James McCubbin, R.A.F.V.R., 9 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1943, in its Royal Mint fitted case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, these last four in named Air Ministry card box of issue addressed to ‘F/Lt. James McCubbin’ at Motherwell, Scotland, extremely fine (5) £1,800-£2,200

D.F.C. London Gazette 28 September 1943:
‘This officer has completed very many sorties and has invariably displayed great persistence to achieve success. On more than one occasion his aircraft has been attacked by fighters but Pilot Officer McCubbin has displayed great skill to outmanoeuvre the enemy aircraft and return safely to base. He has displayed inspiring leadership and great courage.’

James McCubbin flew on anti-submarine operations with the 10 Operational Training Unit Detachment at St. Eval from October 1942 to January 1943. The Detachment augmented Coastal Command squadrons in the Bay of Biscay and Western approaches. He was the pilot of a Whitley V bomber from No. 10 OTU Detachment on 28-29 October 1942, engaged on an anti-sub sweep when, as recorded in his log book ‘oil leak port engine at 11:00 hrs - switched off 16:00 - oil leak starb. engine, danger of seizing - ditched 17:15. Adrift in dinghy 84 hrs - rescued by A.S.R. & R.N. HMS “Cutty Sark” 03:39hrs 2/11/42.’ Membership of the Goldfish Club followed, as did the adoption of “Cutty Sark” nose art for McCubbin’s regular Lancaster bomber, following a period at Wigsley 1654 Conversion Unit and transfer to No. 9 Squadron at R.A.F. Waddington in March 1943. The squadron moved to R.A.F. Bardney in April 1943, from where operations were carried out against targets in Germany, Italy, Spain, Czecho-Slovakia and North Africa. Log book entries include:
‘3 April - Ops Essen - holed by flak.
4 April - Ops Kiel - engaged ME 109.
4 May - Ops Dortmund - first prang since April ‘41.
12 May - Ops Duisburg - over 2,000 tons on target.
20 June - Ops Friedrickshaven - landed Blida North Africa.
23 June - Ops Spezia - return from North Africa
25 June - Ops Gelsenkirchen - P.F.F. u/s.
5 Sept - Ops Mannheim - attacked by N/F - 5 attacks - got him! - a/c badly damaged - end of tour.’

The consequent combat report concluded ‘The E/A had fired long bursts at the Lancaster in each attack and the Lancaster’s rear gunner also fired long bursts during each attack. During the final attack E/A burst into flames as shots from the rear turret hit him, he dived beneath the strbd wing obviously on fire, this was confirmed by the flight engineer and air bomber. This E/A is claimed as destroyed... The Lancaster suffered considerable damage, the bullet holes being too numerous to count.’

After completing his second operational tour, McCubbin was engaged largely as a Flying Instructor and left the R.A.F. in 1947, later becoming a roller in a Scottish steel factory.



Sold with the recipient’s R.C.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book for the period September 1941 to January 1947; Postagram message of congratulations for D.F.C., signed by ‘Bomber’ Harris; P.F.F. brass wings; original Goldfish Club membership card, cloth patch and small enamelled lapel pin; a quantity of original photographs including crew and their regular Lancaster ‘W’ ED654 ‘Cutty Sark’; and various other educational and flying related paperwork and certificates.