WWII Newfoundland Air Crew Europe Star Silver Mother`s Cross Volunteer Service a For Sale -

TERMS OF SALE

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DETAILS

A very rare offering. This lot was issued for Newfoundlander J. P. Hookey RAF #798613. Mr. Hookey\'s name is mentioned on the WWII War Memorial at St. Johns Airport`in Newfoundland. The group includes: the rare Trio in original case of issue which includes the Air Crew European Star, it also includes a silver 1939 - 1945 medal along with the rare Silver Mother`s Cross. Also included is the original Newfoundland Volunteer Serice Medal in case of issue with spare ribbon and a spare medal bar. There is also some amazing documentation to go with the grouping including many pictures of the soldier, the crash site and even the wreckage. There are two maps pinpointing the crash site. A book 1939 - 1945 The War Dead of the Commonwealth is included in which Sgt. Hookey is referenced, there is a letter from the Ministry of Defence requesting his flying log book, a report published by the Warplane Wreck Investigation Group - highlighting the details of the event, a copy of the Crash Report, 2 maps indicating the crash site, a copy of the certificate of Birth and Baptism, and several hand written letters to family members who were searching for information on the crash, a picture of the plane before crashing and a booklet on warplane wrecks of interest in Snowdonia which gives further information on the crash. This is a once in a lifetime offering.

The following information was gathered by one of the foremost authorities on Newfoundland Military History:

Nflders in the RAF – WW2

According to the Herb Wells book “Comrades in Arms” (Wells for many years wrote a veterans column in The Newfoundland Telegram):

RAF contingents enlisted in Nfld and sent to the UK – total 734 men (798613 Hookey listed on pg 281)

Honour Roll (killed/died) Nflders in the RAF – 135 (798613 Sgt. Hookey listed on pg 300)

Honour Roll Nflders in the RCAF – 40

His crew position:

W.op/Air Gnr – wireless operator/air gunner

The Whitley had a nose and a tail turret – Hookey would have doubled as a wireless operator and nose turret gunner – this was standard procedure.

Royal Air Force Operational Training Units (OTU) were training units that prepared aircrew for operations on a particular type or types of aircraft or roles.

No. 24 Operational Training Unit RAF No. 24 OTU was formed in March 1942 at RAF Honeybourne as part of No. 7 Group RAF Bomber Command to train night bomber crews using the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Carried out three operational sorties during 1942. Converted to the Vickers Wellington in April 1944 to train Royal Canadian Air Force crews, disbanded in July 1945.

He was a member of:

Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve) - RAF (VR)

The RAFVR was formed in July 1936 to provide individuals to supplement the Royal Auxiliary Air Force which had been formed in 1925 by the local Territorial Associations.

When war broke out in 1939 the Air Ministry employed the RAFVR as the principal means for aircrew entry to serve with the RAF. A civilian volunteer on being accepted for aircrew training took an oath of allegiance (\'attestation\') and was then inducted into the RAFVR. Normally he returned to his civilian job for several months until he was called up for aircrew training. During this waiting period he could wear a silver RAFVR lapel badge to indicate his status.

By the end of 1941 more than half of Bomber Command aircrew were members of the RAFVR. Most of the pre-war pilot and observer NCO aircrew had been commissioned and the surviving regular officers and members of the RAFO filled the posts of flight and squadron commanders. Eventually of the \"RAF\" aircrew in the Command probably more than 95% were serving members of the RAFVR.

Air Crew Europe Star Medal

The Air Crew Europe Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II. Specifically, the medal was awarded to Commonwealth aircrew who participated in operational flights over Europe, from UK bases.

This medal was awarded for operational flying from the UK over Europe, between the period 3rd September 1939 to 5th June 1944 (outbreak of war until the start of the D-Day Normandy Invasion).

The recipient was awarded this star if their service period was terminated by their death or disability due to service. Also the award of a gallantry medal or mention in despatches also produced the award of this medal, regardless of their service duration.

RAF air crew had to complete 2 months service for this medal. However, this 2 months had to come after the service which entitled the person to the 1939-45 Star (120 days in total).

The only campaign star awarded solely to the Royal Air Force was the Air Crew Europe Star. The requirement for this medal along with the Atlantic Star was quite arduous and complicated.

The first two months on a squadron qualified you to the 1939 Campaign Star, the next two months completed qualified you for the Air Crew Europe, provided one operational sortie had been completed.

This star was introduced on the 3rd September 1939 and ceased on the 5th June 1944. Those who having qualified for the Air Crew Europe and flew after the 5th June received a clasp or bar France and Germany to wear on the Air Crew Europe Star. Those that went over the 5th of June but had not completed 2 months or 60 days received the France and Germany Star. It means in this instance that having started flying on operation say in February 1944 one must complete the required 60 days before the 5th but if you went over this date by only a matter days you did not receive the coveted Air Crew Europe Star. This means in essence that you had flown something like 58 days of the required 60 but did not get the medal because you had flown after the 5th of June.

If a man was killed he would be awarded the star irrespective of the time he had served. If a man was wounded or injured and could not continue his service towards the 60 days he would be awarded the star irrespective of time served. Time as a prisoner of war counted provided the first two months and the 1939 star had been awarded. But if you evaded capture and got back to the UK before completing the required two months or 60 days you were not awarded the star. The service could not be continued until the required 60 days had been reached as evaders were not allowed to fly over enemy or enemy occupied territory, particularly having been helped by the escape organizations in Europe.

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

From the outset, the Whitley was utilised by Bomber Command as a night bomber, complementing the daylight missions of the Wellington and Hampden, the type was the RAF\'s first \'heavy\' bomber.

The Whitley was designed in response to Specification B3/34 issued in July 1934 and within two years the first Whitley had made its maiden flight and the first orders -sided fuselage and prominent, jutting chin and a very distinctive nose-down flying attitude. It was however, capable of carrying a very impressive bombload of 7,000lb.

One feature which dogged the Whitley during its early career was the unreliability of its two Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engines and later marks were fitted with the ubiquitous Rolls Royce Merlin.

Initial aircraft were delivered to Dishforth-based No 10 Squadron in a year after the maiden flight of the prototype, with sister squadron No 78 following in July and No 58 at Boscombe Down in October. These Whitley Is and the subsequent Mark IIs, fitted with Improved Tiger engines, had left front-line squadrons by the outbreak of war and the Mark III (improved armament and minor design tweaks) was the standard version in service with Bomber Command. These, in turn, were being replaced by the first Merlin-powered version the Mark IV and then the definitive Mark V with later model Merlins.

The Whitley\'s first operations of the war ironically were not to drop bombs on German targets, but leaflets, and these duties continued well into 1940. The first bombing raids on Germany were made in May by Nos 77 and 102 Squadron from Driffield. Following Italy\'s entry into the war in the following month, 36 Whitleys from 5 squadrons in No 4 Group, visited Turin and Genoa, but many encountered bad weather over the Alps and were forced to turn back due to icing - another problem that was never cured with the aircraft.

During the Spring of 1940, the Wellingtons and Hampdens had been withdrawn from daylight operations after a series of heavy losses and the three different types now took the war to Germany by night and aircraft of all three types made the first raid on Berlin in August.

Because of its better range, the Whitleys were used on some of the longest-range sorties in the early years, with the raid on the Skoda factory in Czechoslovakia (a return trip of almost 1,500 miles, much of the outward leg being flown over enemy territory in daylight). Many famous bomber pilots cut their teeth on ops with Whitleys including Leonard Cheshire (later awarded the VC whilst serving with No 617 Squadron), Don Bennett (commanded the Pathfinders) and James Tait (commanded 617 Squadron and awarded 4 DSOs).

As the Command slowly moved across to four-engined operations with the arrival of the Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster, the Whitleys were gradually withdrawn from the Main Force, although a number did participate in the first 1,000-bomber raids in May 1942. The last Whitley operational sorties had been flown some 4 weeks previously against Ostend.

After Bomber Command, Whitleys equipped a number of Coastal Command units, their long range being an advantage for the extended patrols over the Atlantic, and the first U-boat was sunk by an aircraft from No 502 Squadron in November 1941. Other Whitleys made the first paratroop drops during Operation Colossus, the failed attack on the Tragino viaduct in Italy and also on the daring raid to seize German radar equipment from Bruneval in the Channel coast. A small number of Whitleys also served with Nos 138 and 166 (Special Duties) Squadrons into 1943.

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