An extremely well-documented Second War campaign group of four awarded to Liberator Bomb...

An extremely well-documented Second War campaign group of four awarded to Liberator Bomb Aimer, Sergeant D. Earl, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who flew in at least 40 operational sorties whilst attached to 31 (S.A.A.F.) Squadron in Italy - including a variety of Partisan related operations over Hungary, Greece, Northern Italy, Yugoslavia and in support of the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising, August - September 1944 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (lot) £260-£300 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Dennis Earl was born in January 1923, and enlisted as an L.A.C. in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in March 1943. He carried out initial training as an Air Gunner at No. 1 B.G.S., Jarvis, Ontario, Canada and No. 4 A.O.S., London, Ontario. Earl was posted for operational service as an Air Bomber with 31 (S.A.A.F.) Squadron in August 1944. Flying Liberators, and operating from Italy, Earl took part in at least 40 operational sorties to targets including: Northern Italy, Hungary, Greece, and Yugoslavia. He also flew supply drops to partisans in Yugoslavia, Northern Italy, and two missions to drop supplies to Warsaw during the Warsaw Uprising. The latter, when combined with 178 (R.A.F.) Squadron, was the long-range airlift of supplies to the Polish Home Army in Warsaw. Between 12 and 17 August these squadrons lost 17 of the ninety-three aircraft sent to Warsaw with eight of these losses being from 31 Squadron. On Sunday 13 August 1944, 10 crews of 31 Squadron were ordered to Brindisi and briefed for a 3,200 km flight plan from Foggia to Warsaw to drop supplies for the encircled Polish resistance. The supplies were packed in 12 canisters per aircraft, each weighing 150 kg containing light machine guns, ammunition, hand grenades, radio equipment, food and medical supplies. There were 196 11-hour night flights from Brindisi and Foggia in Italy (total between 31 and 34 Squadrons) to and from Warsaw from 4 August to early September 1944. Of the 80 aircraft involved, 31 were shot down, 17 during the weekend of 13–16 August. Sixty-nine South Africans were killed and twenty-five SAAF Liberators were shot down. Fifty percent of the aircraft were from the RAF, and 36% of the total force was South African. Air Marshal Sir John Slessors, the Allied air commander in the Mediterranean, later put the losses at one bomber lost for every ton of supplies dropped. Earl’s Log Book entry for 14 August 1944 gives: ‘Warsaw. Supply Dropping to Partisans fighting in the burning city. Height 300 ft. Concentrated flak and searchlights two bullets in tail.’ Earl carried out a similar sortie to Warsaw, 10 September 1944, before suffering more damage to his aircraft seven days later ‘Brescia. N. Italy. Marshalling Yards. On way to target caught in barrage of H.A.A. and hit by shrapnel.’ (Ibid) Earl’s ops were proving perilous, and his aircraft suffered damage in between supply dropping for Marshal Tito’s partisans in Jugoslavia, and Italian Partisans in Northern Italy. His Log Book recording for 3 January 1945 ‘Salcano. N. Italy. Railway Bridge. Holed by H.A.A. at Pola.’ Earl completed his tour of operations in February 1945, and returned for service with the Royal Air Force. He was released from service as a Sergeant in March 1947. Sold with the following extensive amount of related contemporary documents: Royal Canadian Air Force Flying Log Book for Aircrew other than Pilot (23 December 1943 - 25 February 1954); R.A.F. Service and Release Book; 15 wartime personal photos and 11 bombing target photos; more than 50 personal letters written during his service; a short diary written during training in Canada; telegrams, newspaper clippings about operations, and two RAF targets charts.