Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to coincide with the OMRS Convention

An early Second World War Hampden operations D.F.M. group of four awarded to Flight Sergeant J. C. MacGregor, Royal Air Force, who was killed in action off Norway in February 1942

Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (552535 F./Sgt. J. C. MacGregor, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, in original envelopes of issue, with Air Ministry condolence and issuance slips, good extremely fine (4) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Men of Bomber Command 1939-45.

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D.F.M. London Gazette 27 August 1941. The recommendation states:

‘This N.C.O. has been a Wireless Operator on 35 operational sorties, all except two flights being with the same Captain. His cheerfulness and determined ability have been largely responsible for the success of the majority of the sorties undertaken. His keenness, ability and ready cheerful manner in which he undertook operations were of the utmost value to the Squadron.’

John Charles MacGregor, who was from Dundee, commenced his operational career with No. 44 Squadron, a Hampden unit operating out of R.A.F. Waddington, but with a detachment at Lossiemouth. And he remained a Wireless Operator in Hampdens for the duration of his tour, an aircraft with striking deficiencies that have been summed up by Max Hastings in Bomber Command (Michael Joseph, 1979):

‘The Hampden was the most urgent candidate for replacement: cruising at only 155 m.p.h., 10 m.p.h. slower than the other two [the Wellington and Whitley], this grotesque-looking flying glasshouse could stand little punishment, lacked power-operated turrets, and could only carry a 4000lb. maximum bombload.’

Awarded the D.F.M. for the completion of 35 sorties, MacGregor returned to the operational scene with a posting to No. 83 Squadron.

On the night of 22-23 February 1942, the Squadron was ordered to carry out a diversionary raid against Stavanger, Norway, while the Fleet Air Arm launched an attack against the Prinz Eugen in a fjord near Trondheim. MacGregor was assigned to Manchester L7522 OL-N, with which aircraft type his Squadron had recently been re-equipped, piloted by Squadron Leader J. R. Rainford, D.F.C.* and Pilot Officer E. A. Warren. Tragically, however, aircraft and crew were lost off Sola airfield, crashing into the sea. Eventually the bodies of both pilots and one other crew member were recovered and interred at Sola churchyard, but 20 year old MacGregor and the remainder of his crew have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Sold with original R.A.F. Record Office letter addressed to the recipient’s father, stating that no further news had been received regarding his fate, dated 3 July 1942; a wartime H.M.S.O. publication, Bomber Command, the inside bearing the signatures of some 25 aircrew from No. 5 Group; and the 1914 Star and bar trio to the recipient’s father, Private C. MacGregor, 1/Royal Scots Fusiliers.