Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War fighter ace’s D.F.C. and Bar group of six attributed to Wing Commander W. A. Douglas, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who served in No. 610 Squadron in the Battle of Britain and afterwards commanded No. 603 Squadron in Malta and No. 611 Squadron at the time of the Normandy Landings, claiming a total of six enemy aircraft destroyed and three probables, in addition to several more damaged
Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1942’ and the reverse of the Bar officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953, mounted court-style as worn, good very fine (6) £2200-2500

Provenance: Ex Glendining’s 24 June 1987 (Lot 287), when sold by the recipient’s son, and thence the Eric Campion Collection - sold with several original wartime newspaper cuttings and several letters from the recipient’s son to Eric Campion, together with bound photocopies of the recipient’s Flying Log Books, the originals of which are believed to remain in possession of his family.

D.F.C. London Gazette 4 December 1942. The original recommendation states:

‘This officer took part in 12 offensive sweeps over Northern France in June 1941, during which he destroyed one M.E. 109 and damaged another. In June he was shot down and wounded, but returned to operations in November 1941 and, on his next sortie, took part in an operation in which the Squadron sank two, and damaged two out of eight flak ships.

On 22 April 1942, he led a Squadron of 11 aircraft from an aircraft carrier to Malta. He has flown nearly 47 hours over the island and in that time he has destroyed four, shared in the destruction of another two, probably destroyed one, and has damaged five enemy aircraft.

On 10 May 1942, he destroyed one Ju. 87, shared in the destruction of another, and probably destroyed a third. Altogether he has destroyed or shared in the destruction of twelve aircraft. Squadron Leader Douglas has inspired the whole squadron with his keenness and example, and has by his fine leadership, has shown himself to be a first class Squadron Commander.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 26 September 1944. The original recommendation states:

‘Since being in command of No. 611 Squadron, Squadron Leader Douglas has successfully completed 105 offensive sorties. These sorties include numerous shipping reconnaissance patrols and shipping strikes along the coast of Holland, involving long sea crossings, fighter sweeps and escort operations with bombers. Latterly they have also included 17 sorties over the Normandy beaches, ten of which were at first and last light, some in very bad weather conditions.

Since D-Day, Squadron Leader Douglas has destroyed one enemy aircraft and probably destroyed another. In the former action, which was at night, Squadron Leader Douglas, finding that his gun-sight was not functioning correctly, closed to point blank range regardless of the return fire to which he was being subjected. On opening fire he caused the enemy aircraft, a Ju. 88, to explode and his own aircraft to be damaged by the debris which was thrown back.

Throughout this, his second tour of operations, Squadron Leader Douglas has at all times shown the keenest offensive spirit and has been a fine example to his Squadron. Through his untiring efforts he was able to train his squadron up to a pitch when it was able to operate not only at night, but also in bad weather at night, thus ensuring that it was able successfully to fulfil its mission during the opening phases of the invasion of Europe with the minimum of loss.’

William Anderson Douglas, who was born in Edinburgh in January 1920, joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1939, when he joined No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron. Mobilised on the eve of hostilities, he completed his pilot training and was posted to No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron, another Auxiliary Air Force unit equipped with Spitfires, in September 1940. Remaining similarly employed until February 1941, Douglas returned to No. 603 Squadron in the latter month and, as cited above, participated in a number of cross-Channel sweeps until severely wounded by cannon shell splinters in a combat over Calais in June, having in the interim claimed two 109s as damaged and another as destroyed, south-west of Calais, on the 21st.

Returning to the operational scene in April 1942, after treatment as a “Guinea Pig” at East Grinstead Hospital, Douglas joined No. 603 Squadron in Malta, and quickly raised his score with a Ju. 88 on the 25th, and, in May, with two 109s destroyed, a brace of Ju. 88 as probables and another damaged. Appointed to the command of the Squadron in July, he added a Ju. 88 and a MC 202 damaged to his tally in the same month, and then returned to the U.K. via Gibraltar. He was awarded the D.F.C.


Having then served briefly on attachment to No. 453 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron at Hornchurch in May 1943, when he added a probable Ju. 87 to his score, Douglas was appointed to the command of No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron that August. Based at Southend, the Squadron’s Spitfires went on to carry out a mass of operational sweeps over Holland and France in the lead up to the Normandy Landings, and beyond, Douglas claiming his close-range Ju. 88 south-west of Saintenay on the 10 June and a 109 over Omaha beach on the 14th. He was awarded a Bar to his D.F.C.

Following senior command at Coltishall, where he was Wing Commander Flying, Douglas was demobilised in December 1945, and died at Edinburgh in January 1977.