The Second World War campaign service group of four awarded to Flying Officer A. M. Gregg, Royal Air Force, late Royal Engineers (Territorials), who was killed in operations in the defence of Ceylon in April 1942

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45, together with original Air Council condolence slip in the name of ‘Flying Officer A. M. Gregg’, extremely fine (4) £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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Arthur Malcolm Gregg was originally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Royal Engineers (Territorials) in May 1937 and appears to have served briefly in Military Intelligence prior to transferring to the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer in September 1940. Advanced to Flying Officer later that year, he served in No. 613 Squadron, an Army co-operation unit, prior to being ordered overseas in December 1941.

He was subsequently killed during the course of a large scale enemy attack on Trincomalee and the China Bay airfield on 9 April 1942 - over 130 Japanese aircraft took part in the onslaught, all of them having been launched from aircraft carriers of the “Nagumo Force”. Gregg, a pilot in No. 272 Squadron, was ordered to take his Fairey Fulmar out to sea to locate the whereabouts of the Japanese fleet, but his aircraft (X8769K) crashed into the dense jungle just inland of Foul Point, ‘having apparently suffered engine trouble.’ Aged 23 years, he was buried in Colombo (Liveramentu) Cemetery; for a full account of this enemy raid on Trincomalee, see Bloody Shambles (Volume II), by Shores, Cull and Izawa.

Sold with a silver presentation cigarette box, the lid with engraved No. 613 Squadron crest and the inscription, ‘Presented to P./O. A. M. Gregg by the Officers of 613 Squadron on the Occasion of His Marriage, 27th September 1941’.