A Classic "Battle of The Rhur" & "Dresden"
IMMEDIATE 'JU88 KILL'
DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL
Logbook & Papers.
To:
Lancaster Air Gunner
1396769. FLT/SGT ARTHUR JOHN CLARK. R.A.F.V.R.
(101 Squadron)
RAF Ludford Magna.
DFM: 1396769. F/Sgt. A.J. CLARK. R.A.F.
1939-45 Star
France & Germany Star
Defence Medal
War Medal.
ORIGINAL BUCKINGHAM PALACE LETTER FROM GEORGE VI DFM. LONDON GAZETTE. 22nd May 1945 (Page 2623)
HAND SIGNED TELEGRAM OF CONGRATULATION FROM SIR ARTHUR 'BOMBER' HARRIS.( Harris personally hand signed each and every single one of the RAF Bomber Command award telegrams)
1396769. Flt Sgt Arthur John CLARK. R.A.F.V.R. 101 Sqn. &
1595658. Flt Sgt Edgar Leslie PEARSON R.A.F.V.R. 101 Sqn.
[CITATION]"One night in March 1945, these two airmen were mid-upper and rear gunners respectively in an aircraft detailed to attack Chemnitz. Over the target area an enemy fighter was observed manoeuvring to an attack. Both gunners opened fire and the enemy aircraft dived toward the ground out of control with the engine, starboard wing and fuselage on fire. By their accurate shooting and presence of mind the enemy aircraft was forestalled. Flight Sergeants Clark and Pearson have participated in very many sorties against a wide variety of heavily defended targets in Germany. Their consistent skill, courage and devotion to duty are highly commendable"
[BIOGRAPHY& SERVICE HISTORY]
Arthur Clark was from Tottenham, London.
Having worked pre-war as a carpenter and as a fitter in aircraft production at Coventry, he initially joined the Royal Air Force in the same capacity. However, he soon realised his ambitions were taking him toward flying rather than building aircraft. As the papers accompanying this group include some very comprehensive hand written navigational instructional notes it is assumed that his initial plans were to be a navigator.
This clearly was not pursued as from 2nd August to 11th September 1943 Arthur is seen at the 43rd Air School, Port Alfred, South Africa. After completing 15 live air firing flights over 15hrs in Avro Ansons and gun camera training in an Airspeed Oxford he is seen qualifying as an Air Gunner.
His UK flying training with 30 O.T.U. commenced at RAF SEIGHFORD ( near STAFFORD ) on 31st March 1944 on Vickers Wellingtons where he completed 35 day and night sorties up until 15th May 1944. He then completed a seven day refresher gunnery course at 1481 'B' gunnery school at INGHAM on Wellingtons from 21.6.44 - 28.6.44.
His heavy bomber training then commenced on the Halifax at 1667 C.U. SANDTOFT on 4th July 1944 with eleven training flights until 12th July 1944.
From SANDTOFT he moved to the Lancaster conversion unit I.L.F.S at HEMSWELL where from 23rd July to 27th July he undertook seven cross country and fighter affiliation flights.
He finally joined 101 Squadron his operational unit at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire on 1st September 1944. He got off to a bad start as his first flight crashed at Lichfield killing three of the crew of seven. The aircraft had been diverted from Ludford due to bad weather and while attempting to land at an unfamiliar airfield at Lichfield it struck the tops of trees at, destroyed a chicken run and ended up hitting a brick wall.THE REPORT WAS AS FOLLOWS: Avro Lancaster B1 LL849 of 101 Squadron descended to establish position in adverse weather, but hit tree and crashed near Lichfield Aerodrome. F/O N.M. Cornelius injured,(Pilot) Sgt Lipfriend injured,(Nav) Sgt Middlehurst Injured, F/S William G. Evanson killed , Sgt Alexander Holmes killed,(Radio Op, 34) Sgt Leonard A. Street killed, (Special Rad Op, 21) Sgt S.B. Eales injured, Sgt A.J. Clark injured.
His first operational sortie took place on 28th October 1944 with a day raid on Cologne.
From this date he then took part in some of the most arduous and dangerous long distance bombing operations of the air war. Flying, mainly at night, over the most heavily defended targets in Germany, flights of nine hours deep into enemy territory were not unusual.
His log book records one complete tour of 30 operational sorties which took him to the following infamous German target cities.
COLOGNE
DUSSELDORF
BOKUM
GELSENKIRCHEN
FRIEBURG
ESSEN
KARLSHRUE
SOEST
MERSEBURG
BONN
KLEVE
DRESDEN(13/14th February 1945.THIS INFAMOUS FIRE RAID KILLED 25,000 + CIVILIANS)
CHEMNITZ
DUISBERG
PFORZEIM
DESSAU
MISBURG
NUREMBURG
KASSEL
His final daylight raid was an 8hr 45m sortie to PLAUN on 10th April 1945.
During his tour of 30 operational sorties he completed 232.00 hours night flying and 142.05 hours day flying. 
After the war life returned to 'normal' for Arthur Clark who became a bus conductor on London Transport. Another humble and unspoken hero
who's courage has finally been recognised by the building of the Bomber Command Memorial and the issue of the Bomber Command clasp.
No.101 Squadron RAF was a very important unit in that it's Lancasters often carried an eighth crew member who was a specialist in the then ultra hi-tech and top secret A.B.C. system. This system, known as AIRBORNE CIGAR (A.B.C.) – ( tech spec ' ARI TR3549 ) was a radar jamming system carried and used to locate, monitor and then jam the Lichtenstein Radar of German night fighters.
THIS IS A CLASSIC D.F.M. ASSEMBLY WHICH TRULY REPRESENTS THE MASSIVE EFFORTS & TITANIC STRUGGLES UNDERTAKEN BY OUR YOUNG AIRCREW LADS WHICH TOOK PLACE HIGH IN THE INK BLACK NIGHT SKIES OVER NAZI GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR II.
ORIGINAL LOG BOOK ORIGINAL BUCKINGHAM PALACE LETTER ORIGINAL A.O.C.'s TELEGRAM, TWO AIR DROPPED PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS, THREE BINDERS of ENGINEERING AND NAVIGATIONAL TECHNICAL NOTES. NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS DETAILING ARTHUR CLARK's CAREER & STORY. THE D.F.M, HAVING NEVER BEEN WORN, IS PRACTICALLY MINT STATE WITH A SUPERB BATTLESHIP GREY TONE. 
(SOLD)
"One night in March 1945, these two airmen were mid-upper and rear gunners respectively in an aircraft detailed to attack Chemnitz. Over the target area an enemy fighter was observed manoeuvring to an attack. Both gunners opened fire and the enemy aircraft dived toward the ground out of control with the engine, starboard wing and fuselage on fire. By their accurate shooting and presence of mind the enemy aircraft was forestalled. Flight Sergeants Clark and Pearson have participated in very many sorties against a wide variety of heavily defended targets in Germany. Their consistent skill, courage and devotion to duty are highly commendable"
[BIOGRAPHY& SERVICE HISTORY]
Arthur Clark was from Tottenham, London.
Having worked pre-war as a carpenter and as a fitter in aircraft production at Coventry, he initially joined the Royal Air Force in the same capacity. However, he soon realised his ambitions were taking him toward flying rather than building aircraft. As the papers accompanying this group include some very comprehensive hand written navigational instructional notes it is assumed that his initial plans were to be a navigator.
This clearly was not pursued as from 2nd August to 11th September 1943 Arthur is seen at the 43rd Air School, Port Alfred, South Africa. After completing 15 live air firing flights over 15hrs in Avro Ansons and gun camera training in an Airspeed Oxford he is seen qualifying as an Air Gunner.
His UK flying training with 30 O.T.U. commenced at RAF SEIGHFORD ( near STAFFORD ) on 31st March 1944 on Vickers Wellingtons where he completed 35 day and night sorties up until 15th May 1944. He then completed a seven day refresher gunnery course at 1481 'B' gunnery school at INGHAM on Wellingtons from 21.6.44 - 28.6.44.
His heavy bomber training then commenced on the Halifax at 1667 C.U. SANDTOFT on 4th July 1944 with eleven training flights until 12th July 1944.
From SANDTOFT he moved to the Lancaster conversion unit I.L.F.S at HEMSWELL where from 23rd July to 27th July he undertook seven cross country and fighter affiliation flights.
He finally joined 101 Squadron his operational unit at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire on 1st September 1944. He got off to a bad start as his first flight crashed at Lichfield killing three of the crew of seven. The aircraft had been diverted from Ludford due to bad weather and while attempting to land at an unfamiliar airfield at Lichfield it struck the tops of trees at, destroyed a chicken run and ended up hitting a brick wall.THE REPORT WAS AS FOLLOWS: Avro Lancaster B1 LL849 of 101 Squadron descended to establish position in adverse weather, but hit tree and crashed near Lichfield Aerodrome. F/O N.M. Cornelius injured,(Pilot) Sgt Lipfriend injured,(Nav) Sgt Middlehurst Injured, F/S William G. Evanson killed , Sgt Alexander Holmes killed,(Radio Op, 34) Sgt Leonard A. Street killed, (Special Rad Op, 21) Sgt S.B. Eales injured, Sgt A.J. Clark injured.His first operational sortie took place on 28th October 1944 with a day raid on Cologne.
From this date he then took part in some of the most arduous and dangerous long distance bombing operations of the air war. Flying, mainly at night, over the most heavily defended targets in Germany, flights of nine hours deep into enemy territory were not unusual.His log book records one complete tour of 30 operational sorties which took him to the following infamous German target cities.
COLOGNE
DUSSELDORF
BOKUM
GELSENKIRCHEN
FRIEBURG
ESSEN
KARLSHRUE
SOEST
MERSEBURG
BONN
KLEVE
DRESDEN(13/14th February 1945.THIS INFAMOUS FIRE RAID KILLED 25,000 + CIVILIANS)
CHEMNITZ
DUISBERG
PFORZEIM
DESSAU
MISBURG
NUREMBURG
KASSEL
His final daylight raid was an 8hr 45m sortie to PLAUN on 10th April 1945.
During his tour of 30 operational sorties he completed 232.00 hours night flying and 142.05 hours day flying.
After the war life returned to 'normal' for Arthur Clark who became a bus conductor on London Transport. Another humble and unspoken hero
who's courage has finally been recognised by the building of the Bomber Command Memorial and the issue of the Bomber Command clasp.No.101 Squadron RAF was a very important unit in that it's Lancasters often carried an eighth crew member who was a specialist in the then ultra hi-tech and top secret A.B.C. system. This system, known as AIRBORNE CIGAR (A.B.C.) – ( tech spec ' ARI TR3549 ) was a radar jamming system carried and used to locate, monitor and then jam the Lichtenstein Radar of German night fighters.
THIS IS A CLASSIC D.F.M. ASSEMBLY WHICH TRULY REPRESENTS THE MASSIVE EFFORTS & TITANIC STRUGGLES UNDERTAKEN BY OUR YOUNG AIRCREW LADS WHICH TOOK PLACE HIGH IN THE INK BLACK NIGHT SKIES OVER NAZI GERMANY DURING WORLD WAR II.
ORIGINAL LOG BOOK ORIGINAL BUCKINGHAM PALACE LETTER ORIGINAL A.O.C.'s TELEGRAM, TWO AIR DROPPED PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS, THREE BINDERS of ENGINEERING AND NAVIGATIONAL TECHNICAL NOTES. NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS DETAILING ARTHUR CLARK's CAREER & STORY. THE D.F.M, HAVING NEVER BEEN WORN, IS PRACTICALLY MINT STATE WITH A SUPERB BATTLESHIP GREY TONE.
(SOLD)