A good Second World War Spitfire pilot’s D.F.C. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant W. W. Peet, Royal New Zealand Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1945; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., 1 clasp, Malaya (Fg. Off., R.A.F.), contact wear, very fine or better, together with related Second World War badges (3), comprising R.N.Z.A.F. cap badge; R.A.F. Wings and N.Z. lapel pin (10) £1400-1600

D.F.C. London Gazette 2 October 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Flight Lieutenant Peel has completed a tour of operational duty, including bomber escort duties, armed reconnaissances and missions in close support of the army. His targets have included enemy troop concentrations, railway sidings, observation posts and gun positions. In the course of these missions this Officer has destroyed at least one enemy aircraft and has also destroyed or damaged many road vehicles. Flight Lieutenant Peet has, at all times, displayed great courage and fine leadership.’

Wallace Wentworth Peet was born at Dannevirke, New Zealand in July 1920 and enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in February 1941. Having qualified as a Spitfire pilot, he served with No. 122 Squadron, completing 67 sorties over the Channel, including participation in the Dieppe raid operations. Then following a period of “rest”, he joined No. 74 Squadron as a Flight Commander and went on to complete another 70 operational sorties, work that resulted in the award of his D.F.C.

No. 74 Squadron, having served in the Mediterranean, re-equipped with Spitfire IXs back in the U.K. and went operational in May 1944, about the time Peel must have joined its strength. Subsequently engaged over the Normandy beachhead, the Squadron transferred to 2nd Tactical Air Force in July and commenced operations as a “Spit-bomber” unit. In the following month, having actually moved to France, it divided its attention between ground-attacks and bomber escort duties, roles that kept it busy right up until the German surrender.

Peel transferred to the Royal Air Force in October 1946.