Beschreibung:

Family group: A particularly fine Second World War Blenheim pilot’s D.F.C. group of five awarded to Flight Lieutenant A. B. “Ben” Broadley, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who flew alongside Wing Commander H. I. “Hughie” Edwards in the daring and costly low-level daylight strike against Bremen on 4 July 1941, which resulted in the latter’s award of the V.C.: shortly afterwards, Broadley was brought down by flak over the Mediterranean, rescued by Italian launch, and incarcerated in Stulag Luft III - but not before having an escape attempt frustrated by armed guards while en route to Germany Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1941’, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, together with his original P.O.W’s metalled identity tag ‘2522 Stalag Luft 3’, extremely fine Pair: Sergeant B. J. Broadley, Royal Air Force, son of the above Campaign Service 1962, 2 clasps, South Arabia, Northern Ireland (N. 0594359 S.A.C., R.A.F.); Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (Sgt. (N. 0594359), R.A.F.), extremely fine (8) £3500-4000 D.F.C. London Gazette 8 August 1941. The original recommendation states: ‘One evening in July 1941, this officer participated in a raid against shipping at Rotterdam. The attack was carried out from mast height and Flight Lieutenant Broadley succeeded in obtaining direct hits on an 8,000-ton ship, apparently under construction and nearing completion, in one of the harbour docks. Flight Lieutenant Broadley has participated in 22 operational missions and throughout has displayed great skill and courage.’ Arthur Benjamin “Ben” Broadley, a native of Swanage, Dorset, who was born in August 1915 and enlisted in the R.A.F.V.R. in September 1939, commenced his operational career with No. 105 Squadron, a Blenheim unit operating out of Norfolk, in April 1941, completing around 18 sorties before posted with a detachment to Luqa, Malta in July of the same year. Most of these sorties were “fringe attacks” mounted by No. 2 Group against targets in Germany and the Low Countries, but one of them, against Bremen, on the 4 July, was particularly hazardous. The citation for the V.C. awarded to Wing Commander H. I. “Hughie” Edwards, Broadley’s C.O. on this occasion, takes up the story: Footnote ‘On 4 July 1941, he led an important attack on the Fort of Bremen, one of the most heavily defended towns in Germany. This attack had to be made in daylight and there were no clouds to afford concealment. During the approach to the German coast several enemy ships were sighted, and Wing Commander Edwards knew that his aircraft would be reported and that the defences would be in a state of readiness. Undaunted by this misfortune he brought his formation 50 miles overland to the target, flying at a height of a little more than 50 feet, passing through a formidable balloon barrage. On reaching Bremen he was met with a hail of fire, all his aircraft being hit [including Broadley’s] and four of them being destroyed. Nevertheless he made a most successful attack, and then with the greatest skill and coolness withdrew the surviving aircraft without further loss ... ’ A more detailed account of this famous raid appears in Theo Boiten’s Bristol Blenheim: ‘Edwards’ Squadron contributed nine crews, plus six crews from Wing Commander Lawrence V. E. Petley’s 107 Squadron, based at Great Massingham. On the long North Sea crossing, racing over the wave-tops at less than 50 feet to avoid radar detection, three aircraft turned back with technical problems. Despite the perfectly clear weather with not a cloud in sight in which to hide from fighters, the remaining four vics of three pressed on [Broadley’s aircraft among them], even after encountering enemy vessels on three separate occasions. By 08.05 hours, the loose formation, now in line-abreast, raced in over the outskirts of Bremen at about 50 feet. Within minutes, the crews had to plough their way through a lattice of cro