Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 395

A Second World War D.F.M. awarded to Flight Lieutenant W. Woodhouse, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was decorated for his gallantry as a Navigator in No. 57 Squadron, his operational tour including the famous daylight raid on Le Creusot in October 1942 and four trips to the 'Big City'

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1166133 F./Sgt. W. Woodhouse, R.A.F.), good very fine

D.F.M. London Gazette 11 June 1943.

Wilfred Woodhouse was educated at Raddlebarn School, Maple College and Birmingham University, and attended a course at Ruskin College of Art in 1937-38. Having also attended several civil defence courses in the interim, he joined the Royal Air Force in June 1940 and was trained as a navigator.

He subsequently joined No. 57 Squadron at R.A.F. Scampton as a Flight Sergeant in August 1942 and flew his first sortie - against Cologne - on the night of 15-16 October 1942. Next up was Operation 'Robertson', the daylight raid against Le Creusot on the 17th, when 94 Lancasters from No. 5 Group were assigned to attack the Schneider works, the whole under Wing Commander L. C. Slee, the C.O. of No. 49 Squadron.

Woodhouse flew in one of several 57 Squadron aircraft allocated to the force, he and his crew having undertaken special low-level flying exercises over Lincolnshire in the interim. Despite the obvious risks, the raid turned out to be a great success, just one Lancaster becoming a cropper after hitting a roof top. Others suffered damage from bird strikes, as the force raced over 300 miles of French countryside at tree-top height, but all returned home, having delivered their attack in just seven minutes. Even the likes of Guy Gibson, who led six aircraft against the nearby transformer station at Montchanin, appeared to be satisfied with the results.

'Bomber' Harris was also impressed and ordered another daylight raid, this time against Milan, in which Woodhouse participated on the 24th. In fact, he was to make three further trips to Italy over the next month or so, namely two sorties to Turin and another to Genoa. These besides sorties to Duisburg, Stuttgart and Weismar. And in mid-January 1943, he flew his first sortie to the 'Big City', one of four such trips undertaken by him at the height of Bomber Command's battle of Berlin.

Two further trips to Cologne - and other heavily defended targets such as Essen, Hamburg and Munich - made up the remainder of his operational tour and he was recommended for his D.F.M. in April 1943. Subsequently commissioned, he was demobilised as a Flight Lieutenant in October 1945.

Post-war, Woodhouse qualified as a teacher and was employed by the City of Birmingham Education Department, including a stint as headmaster of Leigh School; sold with copied career correspondence.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Estimate
£1,000 to £1,400

Starting price
£800