DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIRCREW EUROPE & AFRICA STAR
[NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 BAR]GROUP OF SIX.
To:
AC1- P/O ALFRED COLVIN D.F.C.
DFC is in Original Case and on its Original Ribbon & Pin.
Reverse is Privately or Even Officially Chisel Engraved:
ALFRED COLVINIn Superbly "1944 Date Matching" Style.
**The engraving style is so exactly similar to the official engraving of the 1944 date, that we feel this naming may well have actually been executed as a specially approved family request at the time of issue by the official RAF engravers. As this DFC was personally presented to the family by King George VI at Buckingham Palace this is entirely possible.
70 Sqd, Wellingtons (North Africa)
97 Sqd, Lancasters (Pathfinders)
156 Sqd, Lancasters (Pathfinders)
[BIOGRAPHY]
Alfred Colvin was a Scotsman from, Dennistoun, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and was known by everyone as "Jock". He was born on 15th May 1919. Before the war he had been a van delivery driver for the famous bread & cake company of BEATTIE'S BAKERY, 116, Paton Street.
His home address at that time was 83, Drumpellier St, Glasgow.
(The address still exists).
He joined the RAF at Uxbridge on 8th August 1939 with training at RAF St Athan and RAF Squires Gate (Blackpool) as a motor transport (petrol bowser) driver.
He applied for and was accepted into aircrew training as an air gunner u/t on 24th June 1941. His training commenced on 31st October 1941, with a qualification gained on 9th January 1942.
Alfred was a man of small stature but was a very good amateur boxer, and he apparently earned enough money in one "rather questionable" boxing match in London to be able to get married.
Not long after his marriage to Miss Enid Crellin in Anfield, Liverpool on 24th June 1942, he was, on 3rd August 1942 sent to North Africa where he flew as a tail gunner on the Wellington bombers of 70 squadron.
His first sortie was on 15/16 September 1942.
A short period after his arrival in North Africa, his new wife received a letter from him saying that all was well but he had received the "order of the boot". She thought that he had been kicked out, when in fact he 'said' had been shot down and had to foot slog it out through the desert!
Oddly, we can find no record of this incident in the 70 Squadron Ops books. Research is ongoing.
Sgt Colvin did 20 sorties during his time with 70 Squadron,
with last flight being made on 12/13 November 1942.
He then returned to the U.K. on 4th January 1943 and after various training movements between 16.3.1943 via No's 16 & 24 O.T.U.'s and into a temporary holding position with 50 Squadron until 10th November 1943. He then moved into further operational flying on Lancasters with 97 'Pathfinder' Squadron on 18th November 1943. This was followed by his final move to 156 "Pathfinder" Squadron based at RAF Worboys in December 1943.
He then did the first two of his ten sorties with 156 Sqd on 2nd December 1943 at the rank of Warrant Officer.
Remarkably, he is seen making these first TWO sorties with 156 Squadron, BOTH WITHIN JUST UNDER 24hrs! The first sortie was a 7hr 21minute return sortie to LEIPZIG which was airborne at 00:24am on the early morning of 3rd December 1943 ....and down at 07:45am ......followed later the same day with a 6hr 22minute night sortie to BERLIN which left at 17:13pm and was down again at 23:35pm .....that's 13hrs 43minuttes operational flying over enemy territory inside 24 hours !
That's what the WW2 RAF called:
"A MAXIMUM EFFORT"
He was commissioned P/O on probation on 14th January 1944.
The marriage to Enid produced one child, a daughter who was born on 13th February 1944 but sadly Alfred never saw the child as he was killed in action eleven days later over Germany on 24th February 1944.
He is listed for the first time in the ops books on this his final sortie as P/O A. Colvin. His DFC, so well earned, was gazetted on 19th May 1944 at the rank of Warrant Officer.
[THE FINAL SORTIE, SCHWEINFURT BALLBEARING RAID]
Alfred's Lancaster bomber JB479, GT-K left RAF WORBOYS at 18:35 on the evening of 24th February 1944, and sadly failed to return.
On the return trip from this now infamous raid on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt, Germany, his Lancaster was attacked and shot down by a German night fighter and crashed at Herzenbach, near Schapbach, 15 miles south east of Offenberg, Germany.
The entire crew of seven were killed.
W/C E.F. PORTER,
F/O C. GIBSON.
Sgt F.A. GOODWIN
Sgt H.W. JONES
Sgt L.W. WHITEFIELD
P/O A. COLVIN
Sgt J.W. GILBERT
Research has not yet been unable to identify the Luftwaffe crew.
This is a highly desirable & Historically Important "Pathfinder" (Schweinfurt Ballbearing Raid) Casualty DFC, which like the vast majority of our medals is totally new to the market.
LOTS OF ORIGINAL PAPERS & ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS ARE ALL NOW PICTURED IN THE SLIDESHOW ABOVE:
THESE INCLUDE:
Buckingham Palace Royal invitation letter. Royal condolence slip, Official Air Ministry letter concerning the identification & reburial. (All communications are addressed to Mrs A. Colvin, as 'wife' and next of kin.) Also includes is a copy of the rarely seen two page official RAF record of service....and an Original Newspaper cutting of his mother and his wife at The Palace. * King George VI actually presented this DFC in one of his last ever personal investitures.
A RARE, DESIRABLE & OUTSTANDING "PATHFINDER" CASUALTY GROUPING.
(SOLD) 
