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Four: Sub-Lieutenant William Joseph Lowe, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, a Fleet Air Arm...
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Description
Four: Sub-Lieutenant William Joseph Lowe, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, a Fleet Air Arm pilot who was killed in action in a strike against the Tirpitz on 24 August 1944 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, extremely fine (4) £800-£1,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- William Joseph Lowe was born in Chatham, Kent on 30 June 1919, and educated at Roan School in Greenwich. On joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, he was drafted to the Fleet Air Arm and attended an Upper Yardmen’s (Air) course at Collingwood, soon after which he commenced pilot training in the U.K. in May 1943. Embarked for Canada in August of the same year, he gained an ‘above average’ pilot rating at Kingston, Ontario before returning and being commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant (A.) in February 1944. Posted to No. 1840 Naval Air Squadron at R.N.A.S. Sparrowhawk in the Orkneys in August 1944, he was embarked in the carrier H.M.S. Indefatigable for Operation ‘Goodwood III’, one of the Fleet Air Arm’s famous strikes on the Tirpitz in Altenfjord. Lowe piloted one of 10 Hellcats to take part in the strike, each carrying a 500lb. bomb, German records noting that ‘the English showed great skill and dexterity in flying.’ Two hits were obtained on the enemy battleship, which was partially covered by a smoke screen, and one of those hits was a Hellcat-delivered 500lb. bomb which landed bang on top of Tirpitz’s B turret, ‘dishing its top and temporarily damaging the elevating gear of the starboard gun and destroying the quadruple A.A. mounting on it.’ Six strike aircraft were shot down, one of them being Lowe’s Hellcat. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Lee-on-Solent Memorial. Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s R.A.F. Flying Log Book (Form 414), covering the period May 1943 to May 1944; an amusing letter addressed to him at R.A.F. Halfar, Malta, from a childhood friend describing his experiences as a pupil Navigator; transcript training notes; greetings cards; telegrams; and official Admiralty correspondence; together with uniform rank insignia.
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Four: Sub-Lieutenant William Joseph Lowe, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, a Fleet Air Arm pilot who was killed in action in a strike against the Tirpitz on 24 August 1944 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, extremely fine (4) £800-£1,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- William Joseph Lowe was born in Chatham, Kent on 30 June 1919, and educated at Roan School in Greenwich. On joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, he was drafted to the Fleet Air Arm and attended an Upper Yardmen’s (Air) course at Collingwood, soon after which he commenced pilot training in the U.K. in May 1943. Embarked for Canada in August of the same year, he gained an ‘above average’ pilot rating at Kingston, Ontario before returning and being commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant (A.) in February 1944. Posted to No. 1840 Naval Air Squadron at R.N.A.S. Sparrowhawk in the Orkneys in August 1944, he was embarked in the carrier H.M.S. Indefatigable for Operation ‘Goodwood III’, one of the Fleet Air Arm’s famous strikes on the Tirpitz in Altenfjord. Lowe piloted one of 10 Hellcats to take part in the strike, each carrying a 500lb. bomb, German records noting that ‘the English showed great skill and dexterity in flying.’ Two hits were obtained on the enemy battleship, which was partially covered by a smoke screen, and one of those hits was a Hellcat-delivered 500lb. bomb which landed bang on top of Tirpitz’s B turret, ‘dishing its top and temporarily damaging the elevating gear of the starboard gun and destroying the quadruple A.A. mounting on it.’ Six strike aircraft were shot down, one of them being Lowe’s Hellcat. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Lee-on-Solent Memorial. Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s R.A.F. Flying Log Book (Form 414), covering the period May 1943 to May 1944; an amusing letter addressed to him at R.A.F. Halfar, Malta, from a childhood friend describing his experiences as a pupil Navigator; transcript training notes; greetings cards; telegrams; and official Admiralty correspondence; together with uniform rank insignia.
Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria
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16 Bolton Street
London
W1J 8BQ
United Kingdom
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