Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Squadron Leader L. H. Hunt, Royal Air Force, who completed in excess of 55 operational sorties over North Africa in Blenheims of No. 55 Squadron in the period June 1940 to January 1942, his gunner claiming at least one enemy aircraft destroyed

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medal 1939-45, generally very fine (4) £300-350

Hunt commenced pilot training at No. 4 F.T.S. at Abu Sueir, Egypt, in September 1936 and, on gaining his “Wings”, was posted to No. (Bomber) 55 Squadron at Hinaidi, Iraq, in the summer of 1937. Equipped with Vincents, No. 55 was charged with carrying out ‘air policing’ and photographic patrols against rebel tribesmen when required, over and above which Hunt conveyed personnel and equipment for Sir Aurel Stein’s Archaeological Survey of the Iraq-Syria Frontier. An ‘above the average’ pilot, he was also selected as a Demonstration Flight bound for Aden.

In early 1939, about the time the Squadron converted to Blenheims and moved to Egypt, Hunt was advanced to Flight Lieutenant, and with Italy’s declaration of war in June 1940, he was quickly in action over Libya - he and his crew running into 50 enemy fighters on their first bombing sortie to Tobruk on the 12th. Hunt’s flying log book goes on to record in detail a punishing operational agenda over the coming months, in his case 56 bombing sorties and three shipping sweeps in the period leading up to January 1941, when he was rested. Thus a flurry of attacks on enemy landing grounds and motor transport columns, more often than not in the Tobruk and Bardia sectors, sorties oft carried out in the face of heavy opposition - and including further encounters with enemy aircraft. His gunner claimed an enemy fighter shot down in a raid on the 27 September 1940.

Posted as an instructor to No. 70 O.T.U. at Ismailia in February 1941, Hunt remained similarly employed until April 1942, and logged two flights as pilot of a captured Do. 17. Back in the U.K. by July of the latter year, he continued to serve as an instructor until joining No. 27 Group in April 1944. Thereafter, until the War’s end, he made regular flights with assorted passengers around the Group’s airfields, but with a string of staff appointments in other Groups after the War, his flying hours gradually diminished - he did, however, enter the jet age with a flight in a Meteor VII in February 1950.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods July 1937 to February 1942, with opening endorsement ‘Certified correct carrying forward of total from previous log book’, amounting to 55 hours pupil pilot flying at No. 4 F.T.S., Egypt, bound as one volume with another unused log book, and July 1942 to October 1952, with opening endorsement, ‘Previous log books not available approx. total 2300 hours. 56 bombing raids Middle East. 3 Shipping sweeps.’