Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Second Lieutenant H. G. Wilson, 30 Squadron, South African Air Force, who flew 56 operational sorties during the Second World War in Marauder aircraft over Italy and Yugoslavia

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, all officially named ‘328443 H. G. Wilson’, good very fine (5) £300-£400

Hugh Gordon Wilson was born in Johannesburg on 7 October 1924, and was educated at King Edward VII School, Johannesburg. He joined the South African Air Force on 19 January 1942 and began training as Air Observer at No. 66 Air School, South Africa, from 25 January 1943. Flying Oxford, Anson, and Hind aircraft, he successfully passed his course on 29 May 1943 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Posted to 27 Squadron, S.A.A.F., he flew his first operational sortie on 29 September 1943, and for the next four months undertook various patrol and escort sorties off the Cape of Good Hope. Transferring to No. 61 Air School at George, Cape Province, on 21 January 1944, Wilson subsequently conducted numerous interception and creeping line exercises aboard Anson aircraft, before being posted to 30 Squadron, who were at that time operating Marauder aircraft in Italy.

On 26 August 1944, Wilson joined Lieutenant Smith as 1st Navigator on a raid on gun positions to the west of Pesaro on the Gothic Line. This was followed by a second attack the same day which resulted in ‘fires left burning all over the area’ (the recipient’s Log Book refers). The following day the crew attacked the same gun positions for a third time, his log book noting ‘direct hits scored’.

On 28 August Wilson flew a fourth sortie to Pesaro, and records in his Log Book: ‘No flak, scored direct hits and silenced several batteries of artillery. Raid on enemy gun emplacements in a river bend west of Pesaro, Canadian troops were being held up by this battery. Area was well plastered. No fighter escort. 9 puffs of flak.’
Such was the success of the repeated pounding of the position that Wilson received a typed letter of congratulations from the Chief of Staff, including a rare eyewitness account of the bombing by a Lieutenant-Colonel, which is pasted within his Log Book: ‘I watched the light and medium bombers operating to-day from a forward observation post. It was simply incredibly devastating, the accuracy and destruction caused was unbelievable... The army is thoroughly grateful and the troops have tremendous courage in light and medium bombers.’

Wilson conducted almost daily attacks on enemy strong points and troop concentrations throughout September 1944 in the region of Rimini and the Merecchia River. He was fortunate to survive a near-miss on 5 September 1944, his Log Book noting ‘Bags of flak mostly concentrated on the other two boxes of aircraft. Heard several shells exploding underneath the A/C. Whole A/C rocked’. As the raids continued, his Log Book notes increasingly heavy flak, ands he was finally rested on 27 September after 21 raids.

Remaining with 30 Squadron, S.A.A.F., Wilson returned to action on 4 December 1944 with a raid on a stores dump to the north of Ravenna. Direct hits were scored on the target. Leading a box, he and Lieutenant Williams faced intense flak during a raid on enemy gun positions to the north-west of Frenza: ‘One aircraft in our formation was shot down but all the crew managed to bale out and have since returned to base.’ (the recipient’s Log Book refers). Ten days later, he and Williams had further issues when joining a raid on the marshalling yards at Treviso, when their Perspex windscreens frosted over at 13,000 feet: ‘At times we could hardly see out. Bombing results were good and the yards got a good pounding.’ (ibid).

After further bombing raids on targets in both Italy and Yugoslavia throughout early 1945, Wilson flew his 56th and final operational sortie on 25 April 1945, an attack on the Monsanta marshalling yards at Gorizia. Unfortunate not be to recommended for a decoration, Wilson was discharged on 14 December 1945.

Sold with the recipient’s original R.A.F. Navigator's, Air Bomber's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book detailing training and all operational sorties, bearing correct signatures and stamps of Commanding Officers, together with a second identical book, as compiled by the recipient in case of the loss of first; and a third contemporary log book covering the recipient’s early training at No. 7 Air School, Kroonstad, in September 1942; a large photograph album with approximately 30 photographs of aircraft flown and targets, together with 6 portrait photographs of the recipient; and the recipient’s hand-written pocket diary covering the period 25 March 1944 to 27 November 1944.