[MILITARY BIOGRAPHY]
Based on his service number, 'Les' Duckworth joined the RAF in mid-late 1939 and most probably just after the declaration of war on 3rd September 1939. His operational unit was No.149 Squadron which was based at RAF Lakenheath and operated the Short Stirling bomber which prior to the introduction of the more modern Halifax & the later Lancaster, and along with the early Armstrong Whitely formed the backbone of the RAF's early Bomber Command heavy bomber force.
[AN UNUSUALLY COMPLETE CASUALTY GROUP]
Most Aircrew Europe casualty groups are sparse in content and normally only arrive as the basic Aircrew Europe Star Trio & the identifying "brown box" which invariably carries the name & address of Father, Mother, Wife or next of kin and sometimes the condolence slip.
However, just now and then an outstanding group arrives which via it's paperwork and photographs exemplifies the true human story of the typically sad loss of yet another of the 56,573 young aircrew lads who failed to return mainly from night flying operations over Nazi occupied Europe.
Now known as "The Many" these lads who's average age was just 20 fought a stark and terrible fight and struggle with death or survival in the blackened night skies over wartime Europe.
The most excellent group we offer here to Air Gunner, 638517. Sgt HARRY LESLIE DUCKWORTH is just such an emotive assembly of long cared for items which include much private, personal & family memorabilia & photos.
We offer and describe it here as a tribute to him, his valour & to his young life given in the defence of our freedom. There are many other items and documents included which are not pictured here, which include: The original brown medal box of issue addressed to his widow in her subsequent married name ( Mrs Young ) . Several private telegrams between Mrs Duckworth & Sgt Duckworth. Two letters to Mrs Duckworth from the relations of two other crew members. Wedding pictures of the couples ceremony and Mr Duckworth's pre-war HGV driving licence etc have also survived. There are three official birth & marriage certificates and much more associated research paperwork. Even the rare named RAF commemorative scroll is here which amazingly still has it's original card backed delivery envelope which was sent from "The Ministry of Pensions" in 1947.
[THE FINAL RAID & THE DREADED TELEGRAME]
Also here are the two sad & much dreaded telegrams that brought the news of Sgt Duckworth's loss. We even have the commonwealth war graves correspondence and photos of the emergency grave marker, including a colour transparency of the cross. We are currently researching, from the squadron operations books, the previous raids on which Les Duckworth took part. The average number of raids in which a man like Les took part before being killed was about 16 or just over half a full tour of 30. Many less fortunate crews were shot down and killed on their first sortie. The lucky few completed a full tour or exceptionally even more. It was a situation of completely random luck coupled with immense combined skills of the pilot and his crew.
At RAF Lakenheath the late evening of 16th July 1942 saw the take off of Stirling BF312 (OJ-A) which at 19:02 as on it's way to bomb far away Lubeck in Germany. During the raid the aircraft was shot down by an enemy nightfighter and it crashed near Steinfeld.
Two of the crew of seven, Sgt H.L. Duckworth & Sgt C.T. Shepherd were killed in the crash and the other five crew members were taken prisoner.
[CREW OF STERLING Mk1 'BF312' (OJ-A)]
The crew of the stricken Sterling Bomber were:
PILOT: 46914 P/O J.M.P. FORWARD.
(P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
(Married S.O.E. Agent Nancy Wake G.M. "The White Mouse")
51 Branksome Wood Rd, Bournemouth.
2nd PILOT: R79194. SGT J.B. LOCKE,
(P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada
NAV / OBSERVER: 111933. P/O F.J. AUSTIN.
P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
58 High Street, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland.
AIR GUNNER: P/O A.W. MACE.
(P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
Montana, Kin Ken, Queensland, Australia.
WOP/AG: 1109246. Sgt. C. TURNER.
(P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
WOP/AG: 1106948. Sgt. G.S. BURNETT (P.O.W. Stalag Luft 3, Sagan)
55 Melville Street, Burnley, Lancashire.
AIR GUNNER: 1127995. Sgt. C.T. SHEPHERD. (KILLED)
Fern Villa, Moss Avenue, Preston, Lancashire.
FLT/ENG. 637517. Sgt. H.E. DUCKWORTH.(KILLED)
168 Miller Road, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire.
[THE SIX SURVIVING P.O.W CREWMEN of BF312, were held at STALAG LUFT III at SAGAN, THE CAMP WHERE THE FAMOUS "GREAT ESCAPE" OF MARCH 1944 took place, four of them are pictured here.]
The surviving crew of this aircraft had an amazing & historic story when they became prisoners of war as the five surviving officers, Flt/Lt J.M.P. FORWARD, P/O A.S. MACE, P/O F.J. AUSTIN & Flt/Lt J.B. LOCKE & W/O G.S. BURNETT were all sent to the now infamous P.O.W. Camp of Stalag Luft III at Sagan, Poland, which was the camp which is now immortalised on film for the famous event known as "The Great Escape".
[THE S.O.E. CONNECTION]
After the war F/O John M.P. Forward had an even more famous wife in the persona of the infamous S.O.E. George Medal secret agent & heroin Miss Nancy Wake, who due to her incredible bravery & evasion talents, was know by the Gestapo & SS as "The White Mouse". From a separate private source and from our own extensive collection we here include an autograph book page with the signature of "Nancy Forward" which was signed for a friend of mine, Mrs Jan Booth, by Nancy, a close friend of her family, while on holiday in Malta on 7th July 1959.
As far as I know this signature by Nancy in her married name is unique. She was a totally discreet lady of extreme valour and the last person who went around signing autographs !
All in all this is an exceptional early casualty grouping with important links of great present & immense future historical interest. Few groups this complete and with this level of historical importance & relevance ever come onto the market. This rare grouping amply demonstrates the real social situation which prevailed in wartime Britain when a brave young RAF airman was lost.
An excellent and museum quality addition to any serious aviation medal collection.
(SOLD)