A very fine Second War Boston and Mosquito navigator's '1943' D.F.C., '1942' immediate...

A very fine Second War Boston and Mosquito navigator’s ‘1943’ D.F.C., ‘1942’ immediate D.F.M. group of six awarded to Flight Lieutenant A. Liddle, 107 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, a low-level specialist, who flew in at least 60 operational sorties, often carried out at ‘rooftop’ height or lower, and often as lead navigator. Liddle distinguished himself with his pilot George Turner on the ‘at all costs’ raid on the Gosnay Power Station, 27 August 1943, and during the raid on the Ijmuiden Steel Works, 27 November 1942, when “we all shot out of our cockpits and raced round to the front of the aircraft in order to get Arthur out. Both he and the nose of the aircraft were a mess. There was blood everywhere and great chunks of the perspex were missing. Arthur was covered in blood unconscious and very cold..... All the shells that had hit her [the Boston] had come from dead ahead or the right. One had burst on the actual bombsight, flinging fragments of steel (and perspex) into Arthur’s leg, arm and face.”

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1943’; Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1132613 Sgt. A. Liddle. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted for wear, generally good very fine (6) £3,800-£4,600

---

D.F.C. London Gazette 24 December 1943.
The original recommendation states: ‘Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, Pilot Officer Liddle has completed twenty-one operations against the enemy, some from high level, others from low level. He has often been the leading Navigator of formations of squadron aircraft.
Pilot Officer Liddle has shown the utmost skill and coolness and has been at all times exceptionally eager to engage the enemy.

On the 27th August, 1943, he was leading navigator of a formation of six aircraft detailed to attack a Power Station near Gosnay, from a low level. Soon after crossing the enemy coast the formation was attacked by fighters and these attacks continued all the way to and most of the way back from the target. Undeterred and unflurried by the evasive action which it was necessary to take against these fighters, Pilot Officer Liddle guided his formation to the target and bombed it accurately in the face of fierce opposition from the ground. He then accurately navigated his pilot back across enemy territory to base in spite of the course lying directly into a bright setting sun.
I consider that the high courage, determination, coolness and exceptional skill which this officer has always shown justifies the non-immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Remarks by Station Commander: Pilot Officer Liddle displayed exceptional gallantry and efficiency on all his operational sorties. Recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

D.F.M. London Gazette 15 December 1942.
The original recommendation states: ‘Sergeant Liddle was the Navigator in the leading aircraft of two Boston IIIs detailed to carry out a cloud-cover and low-level raid on the steel works at Ijmuiden on 27 November, 1942. The formation made an excellent landfall as the target was sighted on the horizon before the coastline itself became visible. During the bombing run the aircraft in which Sergeant Liddle was flying came under very heavy accurate fire from the mole at Ijmuiden. The Observer's cockpit received a direct hit which shattered most of the perspex and wounded Sergeant Liddle in the face and in the chest, arms and legs but, disregarding his injuries and unperturbed by the intense barrage of light flak which had to be negotiated, Sergeant Liddle dropped his bombs on the target. Even after setting course for home, it was some time before Sergeant Liddle had to tell his pilot, Pilot Officer Turner, that there was a lot of blood about which prevented him from seeing his maps and navigation log and, in addition, he was feeling the effects of the icy blasts blowing through the holes in the perspex. Nevertheless, Sergeant Liddle, by a supreme effort, managed to pull himself together and guide the pilot to Horsham St. Faith where a safe landing was made and Sergeant Liddle removed to hospital. Sergeant Liddle has now complete 8½ sorties of which 4 have been low-level attacks, all carried out successfully. I consider that Sergeant Liddle’s fine conception of his duty justifies the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal. 29th November, 1942.
Remarks by Station Commander: Sergeant Liddle’s action in continuing and completing his mission when badly wounded is a magnificent example of gallantry and determination. Strongly recommended for the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’

Arthur Liddle was born in Blaydon, County Durham in December 1914. The son of a coal miner, he volunteered for service with the Royal Air Force in December 1940. Having passed the initial exams, and the additional one for aircrew, he applied for training as either a pilot or navigator, and was sent to an Initial Training Wing, before being posted overseas to Canada, under the Empire Air Training Scheme, and then passed out as an Observer/Bomb Aimer.

Having advanced to Sergeant and returned to the UK by April 1942, Liddle was posted for further training as a navigator to No. 17 O.T.U., Upwood. After three months, and having crewed up, he was posted for operational flying to 107 Squadron (Bostons), Great Massingham, near Norwich, Norfolk. The squadron then operating in the Boston Mk III aircraft, were to be tasked with both high-level pinpoint bombing as well as low level strikes. These low level strikes would be made on the industrial plants in the Low Countries and German held airfields in France in order to entice enemy fighters up to engage in combat with the Boston’s and escorting Spitfires, the ops being known as ‘Circus Operations’.

Whist under training at 17 O.T.U., Liddle had met Sergeant Ron Chatfield, a qualified wireless operator. In 1992 Chatfield would make a recording at The Imperial War Museum in London, detailing his RAF career, with both 107 and 88 Squadrons. Chatfield remembered that he had approached Pilot Officer George Turner, a pilot, who was also looking for a crew at the O.T.U., and suggested himself and Arthur Liddle should team up. All three agreed and a crew was formed that would turn out to be a very efficient and most importantly ‘a lucky crew’ on all their ops together.

After the first few missions a Canadian gunner, Pilot Officer George Murray, was incorporated into the crew as an under gunner, as the Boston was found to be very vulnerable to attack by enemy fighters coming up from below. Turner, Little and Chatfield were initially sent along with five other new crews to 107 Squadron in July 1942, and were then immediately sent to Scotland to commence army co-operation training to become proficient in smoke laying from a low level. This training was undertaken for their forthcoming part in Operation Jubilee (19 August 1942, the Dieppe Raid), when both Canadian and British troops made a landing on the beaches of Dieppe. The Boston squadrons, 88, 107 and 226 would lay down smoke, to help the troops attempting landings on the beaches.

The sixteen crews of 107 and 88 Squadrons assigned to the operation were sent to R.A.F. Ford in Sussex on 17 August, in order to be properly briefed, whilst 226 were sent to Thruxton. Some 32 sorties were carried out by the Boston’s over Dieppe during the landings, with no losses, but several aircraft were hit by flak. Twelve aircraft from 107 were detailed to attack the Hitler Battery by the River D’Arques that was still in operation after the initial attack, but...