"NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW"
A Classic BATTLE OF BRITAIN "Double Kill" "HURRICANE" Fighter Pilot's Group of Six. Air Force Cross '1944', 1939-45 Star ' Battle of Britain' Clasp, Aircrew Europe Star, Defence & War Medals.Without paperwork, but Attributed To: Aircraftman- later Sqd Ldr COLIN NORMAN BIRCH A.F.C. ROYAL AIR FORCE.
The group can be supplied with: A superb, exact period associated and RARE Size 4 (Large) 1938 Dated 'B' Type RAF Leather Flying Helmet by H.BEDNALL of WALSALL & a set of (1940) MkIVb Goggles, fitted with the super rare Type 1 'peg lock' flip shield.Genuine flying kit of this period is like hens teeth to obtain and is greatly sought after by collectors and re-enactors. It would make an excellent addition to the display of this fine group. The purchase of the kit is however optional and at extra cost.
[BIOGRAPHY]Colin Norman Birch was born on 27th November 1918 and joined the RAF(VR) in December 1937 as an Airman u/t Pilot.
Destined to become one of "The Few" he joined the RAF on a short service commission in September 1938 aged 20 and completed his flying training at 2 FTS Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
In June 1939 Birch was posted to No.1 Squadron at Tangmere, which went to France at the outbreak of war as part of and in defence of the Fairey Battle bombers of The Advanced Air Striking Force in The Battle of France. He was rotated back to England on 24th May 1940. The rest of No.1 Squadron being withdrawn on the 18th of June.[HIT A BARRAGE BALLOON CABLE]
While based at RAF Northolt No.1 squadron had switched to night-fighter operations. On 19th August 1940 at 11:30 pm, and having become totally lost while on a night patrol, Birch blundered into the London balloon barrage area and after hitting a balloon tether cable his Hurricane Mk1 (P3684) went out of control. He managed to bale out and with minor injuries he landed on the roof of a house at 28 Gillespie Road in Finchly. It took him a long time (while still up on the roof) to convince the local people down in the street that he was British. However, the fire brigade came to his rescue and he was then requested to make another small jump from the eaves of the house into the arms of a burly fireman standing on top of a turntable ladder some five feet below. He was eventually convinced that this manoeuvre had been practiced with successful frequency and was finally brought to earth to receive the accolades of the crowd of locals who had gathered below. He and his Hurricane must have come straight down from a fairly low altitude as the aircraft crashed and burned out in Chatterton Road which runs parallel to Gillespie Road.
[TWO KILLS IN THE BATTLE of BRITAIN]
He immediately resumed flying operations and claimed a Heinkel 111 destroyed on 30th August 1940 and an Me109 on 1st September. He continued flying with No.1 squadron until 18th October 1940 when he was posted to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge. The unit was re designated 56 OTU in November.
In 1941 Birch did an instructors course at Central Flying School at RAF Upavon. The unit moved to RAF Tealing (North of Dundee) in March 1942.
He was at HQ Fighter Command at Bentley Priory in 1942 and at the Fighter Leaders School at RAF Aston Down in 1943.
Awarded the Air Force Cross (London Gazette. 8th June 1944), Birch was posted to Air Defence GB at Bentley Priory, moving in 1945 to the Central Fighter Establishment at RAF West Raynham.
In 1946 Birch served on the staff at Air HQ Northern Italy. He was Commandant of No. 2 RAFVR Centre (Sywell) in 1947 -1949 , and in 1948 at age 30 he was granted a permanent commission. Included are three pages of copy newspapers showing articles about the VR Centre and pictures of Sqd/Ldr Birch with fellow pilots and the AOC, Air-Marshall Sir Alan Lees, during his visit to RAF SYWELL in summer of 1948. He was living in nearby Northampton at the time.
From 1949 until he retired on 28th March 1958 at age 40 as a Squadron Leader, Colin Birch held a number of appointments, the final one being at the Air Ministry on Intelligence duties.
Colin Birch sadly died on 30th October 2005....aged 86
BIRCH, Colin Norman, Sqn. Ldr., AFC, RAF Retired "One of The Few" - died peacefully in Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital, Perthshire, Scotland on 30 October 2005, aged 86 years. His Funeral took place at 4pm on Friday, 4 November 2005 at Perth Crematorium[THE GROUP]This is seriously desirable and greatly interesting assembly. Battle of Britain RAF groups ( with a genuine Battle of Britain clasp ) are seldom seen for sale today. 
Copy of a signed letter by Sqd Ldr Birch to an autograph collector where he also interestingly comments on the unacceptable accuracy of the LWT series "A Piece of Cake". Sadly, there is no original paperwork or log books with the group, and of course and as usual none of the medals were named at the time of issue. The group, which our supplying client purchased from a leading UK dealership some years ago with then apparently recent attribution to Sqd Ldr Birch, is offered here at just the value of it's component parts. However, and from my own 40 years of sharp end experience as an RAF specialist & enthusiast, I'll confirm that the group, including the rare Battle of Britain clasp is totally genuine and 100% correct in every respect and could quite probably be a group of medals previously held by the late Sqd Ldr Birch. Many senior officers held quite genuine secondary groups for all sorts of reasons and we have indeed seen and purchased such groups direct from the recipients on many previous occasions. All the medals are totally & originally matched for metal colour, texture and tone and have clearly "lived together" for their entire lives. The reverse of the AFC shows quite normal slight contact marking from the 1939-45 Star points as is usual with a swing mounted arrangement. The medals are mounted on original period ribbons which are of late 1940's contemporary fitting and material all of which have aged naturally and together. The medals are correctly swing mounted and are as worn. The lot also includes an RAF WINGS brevet which are quite clearly and most probably the original set awarded to Birch back in 1938/9 when he qualified as they are indeed of totally 'period correct' and official issue style, fabric, subtly correct construction and design and have been contemporarily named on the reverse. PLEASE ASK FOR FULL,DETAILS.PART EXCHANGES WELCOME.01342-870926 or e-mail dragonbrit@aol.com
The group can be supplied with: A superb, exact period associated and RARE Size 4 (Large) 1938 Dated 'B' Type RAF Leather Flying Helmet by H.BEDNALL of WALSALL & a set of (1940) MkIVb Goggles, fitted with the super rare Type 1 'peg lock' flip shield.Genuine flying kit of this period is like hens teeth to obtain and is greatly sought after by collectors and re-enactors. It would make an excellent addition to the display of this fine group. The purchase of the kit is however optional and at extra cost.[BIOGRAPHY]Colin Norman Birch was born on 27th November 1918 and joined the RAF(VR) in December 1937 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Destined to become one of "The Few" he joined the RAF on a short service commission in September 1938 aged 20 and completed his flying training at 2 FTS Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. In June 1939 Birch was posted to No.1 Squadron at Tangmere, which went to France at the outbreak of war as part of and in defence of the Fairey Battle bombers of The Advanced Air Striking Force in The Battle of France. He was rotated back to England on 24th May 1940. The rest of No.1 Squadron being withdrawn on the 18th of June.
[HIT A BARRAGE BALLOON CABLE]
While based at RAF Northolt No.1 squadron had switched to night-fighter operations. On 19th August 1940 at 11:30 pm, and having become totally lost while on a night patrol, Birch blundered into the London balloon barrage area and after hitting a balloon tether cable his Hurricane Mk1 (P3684) went out of control. He managed to bale out and with minor injuries he landed on the roof of a house at 28 Gillespie Road in Finchly. It took him a long time (while still up on the roof) to convince the local people down in the street that he was British. However, the fire brigade came to his rescue and he was then requested to make another small jump from the eaves of the house into the arms of a burly fireman standing on top of a turntable ladder some five feet below. He was eventually convinced that this manoeuvre had been practiced with successful frequency and was finally brought to earth to receive the accolades of the crowd of locals who had gathered below. He and his Hurricane must have come straight down from a fairly low altitude as the aircraft crashed and burned out in Chatterton Road which runs parallel to Gillespie Road.
[TWO KILLS IN THE BATTLE of BRITAIN]
He immediately resumed flying operations and claimed a Heinkel 111 destroyed on 30th August 1940 and an Me109 on 1st September. He continued flying with No.1 squadron until 18th October 1940 when he was posted to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge. The unit was re designated 56 OTU in November.
In 1941 Birch did an instructors course at Central Flying School at RAF Upavon. The unit moved to RAF Tealing (North of Dundee) in March 1942.
He was at HQ Fighter Command at Bentley Priory in 1942 and at the Fighter Leaders School at RAF Aston Down in 1943.
Awarded the Air Force Cross (London Gazette. 8th June 1944), Birch was posted to Air Defence GB at Bentley Priory, moving in 1945 to the Central Fighter Establishment at RAF West Raynham.
In 1946 Birch served on the staff at Air HQ Northern Italy. He was Commandant of No. 2 RAFVR Centre (Sywell) in 1947 -1949 , and in 1948 at age 30 he was granted a permanent commission. Included are three pages of copy newspapers showing articles about the VR Centre and pictures of Sqd/Ldr Birch with fellow pilots and the AOC, Air-Marshall Sir Alan Lees, during his visit to RAF SYWELL in summer of 1948. He was living in nearby Northampton at the time.
From 1949 until he retired on 28th March 1958 at age 40 as a Squadron Leader, Colin Birch held a number of appointments, the final one being at the Air Ministry on Intelligence duties.
Colin Birch sadly died on 30th October 2005....aged 86
BIRCH, Colin Norman, Sqn. Ldr., AFC, RAF Retired "One of The Few" - died peacefully in Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital, Perthshire, Scotland on 30 October 2005, aged 86 years. His Funeral took place at 4pm on Friday, 4 November 2005 at Perth Crematorium[THE GROUP]This is seriously desirable and greatly interesting assembly. Battle of Britain RAF groups ( with a genuine Battle of Britain clasp ) are seldom seen for sale today. 
Copy of a signed letter by Sqd Ldr Birch to an autograph collector where he also interestingly comments on the unacceptable accuracy of the LWT series "A Piece of Cake". Sadly, there is no original paperwork or log books with the group, and of course and as usual none of the medals were named at the time of issue. The group, which our supplying client purchased from a leading UK dealership some years ago with then apparently recent attribution to Sqd Ldr Birch, is offered here at just the value of it's component parts. However, and from my own 40 years of sharp end experience as an RAF specialist & enthusiast, I'll confirm that the group, including the rare Battle of Britain clasp is totally genuine and 100% correct in every respect and could quite probably be a group of medals previously held by the late Sqd Ldr Birch. Many senior officers held quite genuine secondary groups for all sorts of reasons and we have indeed seen and purchased such groups direct from the recipients on many previous occasions. All the medals are totally & originally matched for metal colour, texture and tone and have clearly "lived together" for their entire lives. The reverse of the AFC shows quite normal slight contact marking from the 1939-45 Star points as is usual with a swing mounted arrangement. The medals are mounted on original period ribbons which are of late 1940's contemporary fitting and material all of which have aged naturally and together. The medals are correctly swing mounted and are as worn. 
The lot also includes an RAF WINGS brevet which are quite clearly and most probably the original set awarded to Birch back in 1938/9 when he qualified as they are indeed of totally 'period correct' and official issue style, fabric, subtly correct construction and design and have been contemporarily named on the reverse.
PLEASE ASK FOR FULL,DETAILS.PART EXCHANGES WELCOME.01342-870926 or e-mail dragonbrit@aol.com