Beschreibung:

The superb Second World War C.G.M., D.F.M. group of six awarded to Squadron Leader G. F. Keen, Royal Air Force, who, having been decorated for his first operational tour, was recommended for the V.C. for his great bravery on the night of 12-13 March 1943, during the raid on the Krupps works at Essen - by his own modest account he was ‘a bit knocked about’ by a direct flak hit that killed his Navigator, while in point of fact his right foot was blown off: one of around just 30 aircrew to be recommended for a V.C. in the entire 1939-45 War, he was ultimately awarded an immediate C.G.M. Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying), G.VI.R. (923049 F./Sgt. G. F. Keen, R.A.F.), with its original card box of issue; Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (923049 Sgt. G.. F. Keen, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals, the last four with their original addressed card forwarding box, the second with edge bruise, otherwise good very fine or better (6) £18000-22000 Footnote The rarity of his V.C. recommendation aside, Keen was one of just 11 aircrew to be awarded the combination of a C.G.M. and D.F.M. in the 1939-45 War. C.G.M. London Gazette 23 April 1943. The original recommendation - for a V.C. - states: ‘Flight Sergeant Keen was the Wireless Operator of an aircraft bombing Essen on 13 March 1943. In the target area the aircraft was hit by heavy flak, the Navigator being killed. Flight Sergeant Keen’s right foot was blown off and he received cuts in both legs. Despite this, he regained his seat in the W./O.P’s cabin from the astro-dome and for over two hours worked to repair his damaged wireless set. He was not in R./T. communication with the rest of the crew owing to damage to the aircraft, but when the Bomb Aimer spoke to him on at least a dozen occasions, he found him still conscious and working on his wireless set or giving directions for the manipulation of various secret installations. He offered to assist in navigating the aircraft and twice, somehow, reached the navigator’s compartment to obtain essential navigational information.’ D.F.M. London Gazette 30 January 1942. The original recommendation states: ‘Sergeant Keen joined the Squadron on 20 April 1941 and quickly qualified as a 1st Wireless Operator. During the many raids in which he took part, some of them of extreme range, he always showed the highest qualities of courage, keenness and determination. His knowledge and capabilities as a Wireless Operator were of a high order and on one occasion after a raid on Stuttgart, his skill and steadiness in obtaining wireless navigational aids was solely responsible for bringing his aircraft back to base after it had become hopelessly lost.’ Geoffrey Frank Keen was born in Chesham, Buckinghamshire in March 1916, the son of a Corporal in the Royal Engineers who was killed in action in June 1917. A talented footballer who represented Maidenhead United pre-war, he joined the Royal Air Force in August 1940. Trained as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, he attended No. 10 Operational Training Unit prior to joining No. 51 Squadron, a Whitley unit based at Dishforth, Yorkshire in April 1941. Thus commenced a full tour of operations, commencing with an outing to Kiel on 3 May 1941 - returning from the same target a few nights later, on the 18th, his aircraft crashed on landing back at Dishforth, but all crew survived unscathed; while on returning from Frankfurt on the night of 6 August, he was compelled with his fellow aircrew to bale out over East Dereham as a result of severe icing. These, then, evidence of an eventful tour that encompassed three trips to Cologne and two a piece to Berlin, Bremen, Dortmund, Frankfurt and Hamburg. He was recommended for the D.F.M. on 21 November 1941, by Wing Commander P. C. “Pick” Pickard, having completed 29 sorties and some 200 hours of operational flying time. “Rested” at an O.T.U., Keen was nonetheless among those called upon for the “Thousand Bomber Raids” against Cologne and Ess