Beschreibung:

A particularly fine Second World War Air Gunner’s D.F.C. and Bar group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant D. B. Ross, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a veteran of 54 operational sorties in Whitleys of No. 51 Squadron and in Wellingtons and Halifaxes of No. 427 Squadron, among them Operation “Biting”, the famous paratroop raid mounted on Bruneval in February 1942 A number of encounters with enemy night fighters aside, his aircraft returned with flak damage on no less than 11 occasions: most memorable of all was a raid on Essen in March 1943, when a direct hit killed his Navigator and seriously wounded his Wireless Operator - the latter’s subsequent gallantry resulted in a V.C. recommendation and the award of the D.F.C. to Ross Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1943’ and the reverse of the Bar ‘1945’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, generally very find or better (5) £4000-5000 Footnote D.F.C. London Gazette 17 August 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘Pilot Officer Ross has completed 10 operations on his second tour with this squadron and has carried out his duties in the air with the greatest zeal. On a flight from Essen on 12 March 1943, he was Air Gunner of an aircraft hit by flak in which the Navigator was killed and Wireless Operator seriously injured. He nevertheless helped the Captain in bringing the damaged aircraft to base, and on the way home successfully beat off two attacks by a Ju. 88. He has shown courage and devotion to duty during this present operational tour of the highest order.’ Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 22 May 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘This Gunner has completed 10 trips on his third tour of operations. At all times his work has been of a very high calibre. He has exceptional qualities of leadership and coolness setting a fine example, not only to his crew but to the Squadron in general. On 30 December 1944, his bomber was detailed to attack Cologne. After leaving the target while on three engines, the bomber was attacked by an Me. 210. Flying Officer Ross skilfully directed the evasive action and drove off the enemy fighter with his guns. I most highly recommend that Flying Officer Ross be awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross.’ David Burgess Ross commenced training as an Air Gunner in July 1941 and, on qualification, was posted to No. 51 Squadron, a Whitley unit operating out of Dishforth, at the year’s end. Thus his first operational sortie - an attack on Aachen - flown on the night of 8 December 1941. Having then teamed-up with Squadron Leader Peveler’s crew, he participated in three further sorties in December 1941, namely attacks on Brest on the 17th - ’Hit by flak’ (his Flying Log Book, refers); on Cologne on the 23rd and on Emden on 28th - ‘Bags of flak and searchlights’ (ibid). At the end of January 1942, after sorties flown in Sergeant Ashley’s and Pilot Officer Hanlon’s crews to Brest, St. Nazaire and Emden, he joined Flight Lieutenant Towsey’s crew. It was in this latter capacity that he flew two further sorties to Emden before the month’s end, his turret freezing-up at -31 degrees on the first occasion and his aircraft being damaged by flak on the second. Operation “Biting” In February, No. 51 commenced training for Operation “Biting”, the famous Combined Operations raid on the enemy’s Wurzburg radar installation at Bruneval. The military force - namely the fledgling 1st Parachute Brigade - was placed under the command of Major J. D. Frost, while the R.A.F’s paratroop-carrying Whitleys of No. 51 Squadron were commanded by another wartime legend, Wing Commander P. C. “Pick” Pickard. The raid - carried out on the night of the 27th-28th - was a complete success, the parachutists afterwards being embarked by Coastal Forces with their valuable haul of components removed from the radar station. For his own part, R