Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War ‘Pathfinder Force’ D.F.C. group of five awarded to Lancaster Navigator Flight Lieutenant J. I. Rogerson, 97 (Straits Settlement) Squadron, Path Finder Force, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who took part in over 30 operational sorties, including no fewer than eight raids on Berlin, and was killed in action during a raid on Stettin on 17 August 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1944, unnamed as issued, in Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (5) £1,400-£1,800

Morton & Eden, November 2002 (D.F.C. and documentation only).

D.F.C. London Gazette 15 September 1944.
The original Recommendation, dated 13 June 1944, states: ‘Flying Officer Rogerson has completed 32 sorties, many of them against the most heavily defended German targets. 16 of his sorties have been with the Pathfinder Force, 13 as marker. This officer is an outstanding navigator, whose skill has contributed, in a large measure, to the success of his crew’s consistently heavy blows at the enemy. He has, at all times, shown the greatest determination and courage ands has proved an inspiring example to the other navigators of the Squadron. He has, without any doubt, contributed a great deal to the war effort of the Path Finder Force. I strongly recommend that he be awarded the D.F.C.’

John Inshaw Rogerson, a native of Erdington, Birmingham, and enlisted in the Royal Air Force, gaining his training experience in Canada. Commissioned Pilot Officer on 31 May 1943, he was posted initially to 7 Squadron at R.A.F. Oakington in 1943, before transferring at some stage to 207 Squadron. His first operational sortie was a raid on Cologne on 8 July 1943; further operational targets that year included Hamburg (three times), Remscheid, Leverkusen, Mannheim (twice), Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Modane, and Berlin (five times).

Transferring to 97 (Straits Settlement) Squadron, Path Finder Force, from 207 Squadron in late 1943, Rogerson’s first operational sortie with his new unit was a raid on Brunswick on 14 January 1944; further operational targets over the next seven months included Berlin (three times) Stuttgart, Schweinfurt, Augsburg, Frankfurt, and Nuremburg (30 March 1944, Bomber Command’s heaviest loss of the war, when 96 aircraft failed to return home).

Switching to French targets, Rogerson and his crew were detailed to attack the battery of coastal heavy guns on the French coast at St. Pierre du Mont, on the south eastern corner of the Cherbourg Peninsula, on the eve of D-Day, 5-6 June 1944: ‘It seemed quite a normal target until various other things came trickling in; thing such as convoys to be avoided; keeping strictly on track; until one became aware of the obvious that the invasion of Europe was about to commence. The Squadron Commander was heard to say “Thank God I’m still on ops and not at an O.T.U.” Excitement was at fever pitch.’

In the nights following D-Day, sorties to further French targets were flown, in an attempt to prevent the enemy from reinforcing the Normandy front, before reverting again to a German target with a raid on Gelsenkirchen on 21 June 1944; extremely accurate heavy flak was encountered over the target, with the aircraft being repeatedly hit, with 23 flak holes being counted on their return.

Rogerson was killed in action on the night of 16-17 August 1944, during a mining operation on Stettin Bay, the first major operation after Bomber Command had resumed the bombing offensive over Germany (having suspended this to support the Normandy landings). His Lancaster NE167, piloted by Wing Commander E. L. Porter, arrived over the target at 0101 hours, but as they crossed the bay were picked up by searchlights. However, as they were down at 300 feet they decided to “Press On”. In the face of great batteries of light flak guns from all sides of the bay, and although they were coned the whole time, they located the buoys and flew down the channel marking it with 250lb flame floats and dropping mines in between. By 0105 hours their Lancaster had been so badly hit that Porter radioed to say that they had “Had it” and would have to bale out. The entire crew was killed. Rogerson is buried in Poznan Old Cemetery, Poland.

Sold with the following original documentation:
i) The recipient’s Royal Canadian Air Force training log book covering the period 28 February to 23 March 1942.
ii) Missing in Action notification letter from the Air Ministry (Casualty Branch), dated 27 August 1944.
ii) Letters from the War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem, dated 10 May and 4 December 1945 concerning his place of burial; together with related Imperial War Graves Commission verification form.
iv) Investiture letter from the Air Ministry, dated 16 August 1946.
v) A photograph of the recipient, wearing his Observer Wings; together with copied research.