DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS (1944)
BAR to DFC (1944)
1939-45 Star
Aircrew Europe Star (France & Germany)
Africa Star (North Africa 1942-43)
Defence Medal
War Medal
General Service Medal (QEII) “BORNEO”
FLT.LT. R.E. CROMPTON-BATT. R.A.F.
With Associated Miniatures.
Q.C.V.S.A.
[BIOGRAPHY]
Ronald Edward Crompton-Batt was born in Fisherton Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire on 19th February 1922.
Upon joining the RAF in 1941 at age 19, he attended No. 31 Air Navigation School at Port Albert in Canada which trained mostly RAF navigators until early 1945.
Port Albert is a small town on the east coast of Lake Huron, in the middle of mostly flat farm land on the Bruce Peninsula.
He did the standard 100 hour , 70 day/30 night course before finishing with 31 hrs day time at Fingal which hosted No. 4 Bomber and Gunnery School (No. 4 B&GS). This unit trained bomb aimers and air gunners. The school opened on 25 November 1940 and closed 17 February 1945.
He then returned to the U.K. and resumed training at 21 OTU at RAF HARWELL with on Avro Ansons (70 hrs) &Vickers Wellingtons
(70 hrs) until the end of April 1942. He then spent the balance of 1942 in North Africa with 108 Squadron.
[THE WAR IN AFRICA]
He and his first operational unit, 108 Squadron on Wellingtons, took a major part from 1st July 1942-23rd November 1942 in the North African campaign. He flew on 43 sorties of 250.10 total flying time which comprised of the constant bombing of places like Tobruk Harbour (the main German supply inlet) and many of General Rommell’s most important Afrika Korps positions in the western desert.
He returned to the UK in early 1943 where he joined 16 OTU
and underwent further training and the screening process for his next role as a master bomber navigator in Pathfinders. He then spent a final period at 14 OTU before becoming operational with No.7 Squadron (P.F.F.) at RAF OAKINGTON on 16th April 1944.
[AIRCREW EUROPE].....”The Random Irony of Operational Flying”
While with No.7 Squadron (Pathfinders) he played a leading role as Master Bomber Navigator on some of the most dangerous, famous and challenging raids of WW2.
His normal aircraft, captained by Flt/Lt Frow, was Lancaster MkIII
ND744 MG-F in which he flew on 21 sorties, 11 of which were night bombing sorties over Germany. His last flight in ND744 was on 12th June when he took part in a day fighter affiliation sortie.
Ironically, on the night of 15/16th June 1944, ND744 was being flown by a different crew on a raid to VALENCIENNES where it was lost. That same night, Ronald and his normal crew were aboard PB118 ( his 50th Op) and survived the raid on the flying bomb site at RENNESCURE.
Interestingly, Ronald closely avoided death on a number of occasions as he also flew on the same fatal raid as the late Flt Lt John Baker who’s posthumous immediate DSO & DFC we currently have available on line below this listing.
As deputy master bomber, John Baker’s Lancaster collided with the aircraft of the master bomber over the target at Le Mans while attacking the V1 Rocket delivery rolling stock and spares rail wagons at the Le Mans marshalling yards on 19/20th May 1943.
As a fellow master bomber navigator on the same unit, Richard Compton-Batt would clearly have known John Baker and both the lost crews. We can only imagine the shock and sadness that was experienced in the squadron when it was apparent that these two familiar groups of men had been lost that night during the Le Mans operation.
Ronald Crompton-Batt also also took part in many attacks on the V1 Flying Bomb sites and their railway delivery infrastructure.
Also making a last minute pre-D-Day attack on 5th June 1944 on the famously threatening German coastal gun positions at LONGUES BATTERY. He also took part in the post D-Day attacks on the still stubbornly occupied enemy areas around CAEN at CAGNY.
This officer instructed and trained HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in navigation theory and practice as part of his helicopter flying licence qualification.
[THE “PATHFINDER” BOMBER SORTIES, 18.4.1944 —15.8.1944]
(30 Operational Sorties)
18.4.1944. TERGNIER V.B.U.
27.4.1944. AUL NOYE
1. 5. 1944. CHAMBLEY (V.1)
6.5. 1944. NANTES (V.1)
10.5.1944. COURTRAI. (V.1)
19.5. 1944. LE MANS (V.1)
Bombs brought home (due bad weather)
(Two master bomber Lancasters collided over the target with the loss of two crews which included Flt/Lt John Baker DSO, DFC who’s medals we are also proud to offer.)
22.5. 1944. LE MANS. (V.1)
5th JUNE 1944 (Master Bomber)
(Attacked German Coastal Battery at LONGUES, prior to D-Day)
7. 6.1944. FORET De CERISY & RENNES AIRFIELD.
(Aircraft ND744 holed by light flak)
16.6.1944 FLYING BOMB INSTALLATIONS at RENNESCURE.
23.6.1944 L’HEY - PAS de CALAIS
(3 combats on way home, 1 enemy aircraft shot down by rear gunner. Own a/c extensively damaged- landed Woodbridge.)
27.6. 1944. PAS de CALAIS
29.6 1944. SIRACOURT (Daylight raid)
2. 7. 1944 PAS de CALAIS (flying bomb installations)
(Retuned on three engines)
15.7. 1944 CHALONS -SUR-MARNE (Marshalling Yards)
18.7. 1944 CAEN , CAGNY
19.7. 1944 AULNOYE (Marshalling Yards)
20.7. 1944 HAMBURG (Bombed Oil Refinery)
(3 fighter attacks - 1 Destroyed)
23.7. 1944. KIEL
25.7. 1944 BOMBING FLYING BOMB BASES
28.7. 1944 STUTTGART
30.7. 1944. BATTLE AREA
1.8. 1944. PAS de CALAIS. FLYING BOMB SITES
5.8. 1944. PARIS AREA , FLYING BOMB SITES
10.8.1944 LILLE , PETROL DUMP.
11.8. 1944 LA PALLICE, OIL REFINERY
12.8. 1944. BORDEAUX, SUBMARINE PENS
12.8. 1944. BOMBING THE FALAISE ROAD
14.8. 1944. BOMBING BATTLE AREA, FALAISE.
15.8. 1944. BOMBED *SOESTERBURG AIRFIELD
(*after a massive number of attacks this airfield was abandoned)
His two “official” tours ended on 15th August 1944 and he did not fly again until April 1950 when he commenced a conversion course with 15 BNR at RAF SHAWBURY, and a subsequent I.N. course with No.50. This was followed by almost two years at the RAF Flying College at MANBY as a Staff Navigator on the Valletta.
On 11th March 1953 he arrived at RAF LECONFIELD where he flew in Avro Lincoln bombers, and Canberra as a Bomb Aimer & Navigator.
On 4th August to 1954 he transferred to the E.F.D. Armament (guided weapons) experimental Flight at FARNBOROUGH and flew on a multitude of different types including the early V Bombers.
This experimental flying went on until December 1957 when he transferred to the Air Electronics School with which unit he flew for two and a half years until joining the Queen’s Flight in 1960.
[SERVICE WITH THE QUEEN’S FLIGHT] (Whirlwind Helicopters)
On 2nd May 1960, Ronald Crompton-Batt then commenced a long and distinguished period of service on helicopters with The Queen’s Flight. During this time he flew over 200 sorties while carrying some of the most central and important persons in the 20th century in the Royal, Political and Military arenas.
Those included in his log books confirm.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
HRH The Duchess of Kent
HRH The Duke of Gloucester
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
EARL MOUNTBATTEN of BURMA
HRH The Princess Anne
HRH The Princess Margaret
Mr Anthony Armstrong-Jones
H.H. Princess Ghandha Buri
Rt Hon Harold Watkinson M.P.
HRH Prince Alexandra
HRH Prince Michael
Members of Staff of President of Finland.
Secretary of State for Scotland
RT.HON HAROLD MACMILLAN M.P. (The Prime Minister)
RT.HON Julian Amery (Secretary of State for Air)
The Duke & Duchess of Beaufort.
RT.HON Hugh Fraser (Secretary of State for Air)
Marshall of RAF, Sir Thomas Pike.
RT. HON. HENRY BROOKE (Home Secretary)
Mr Robert Mc NAMARA (US Secretary of Defence)
RT HON CYRUS VANCE, (US Secretary of The Army)
Air Marshall Sir Wallace Kyle VCAS.
KING BAUDOUIN of THE BELGIANS.
HRH Prince Andrew
General Torsten Rapp (Commander in Chief Swedish Forces)
Rt Hon, Peter Thorneycroft (Minister of Defence)
H.M. King Paul of The Hellenes
The Sultan of Zanzibar
HRH Princess Marina
RT HON, Duncan Sandys M.P.
Mr ROBERT KENNEDY (U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL)
MRS KENNEDY
HRH PRINCE CHARLES
[ROYAL FLIGHT SERVICE ENDED]
(24th April 1964, after Four years & 204 Royal Flights) .
After a short seven week conversion course onto the Vickers Valletta in June 1964 Flt Lt Crompton-Batt then joined 52 Squadron on 2nd September 1964 with whom he navigated the squadron’s aircraft in the Far East until 22nd April 1966.
He then finally transferred to No.48 Squadron (Transport Command) at RAF CHANGI onto Hastings where he served from
19th May 1966 until his retirement on 29th September 1966.
His four log books record a total of 4,558 hrs flying time.
In addition, he could be considered to be the Duke of Edinburgh’s personal navigator as he was almost exclusively attached to the transportation of HRH. He also trained the Duke in the navigational techniques he needed to qualify for his flying licence.
Along with the four flying log books (April 1941 -29.9.1966 ) the group comes with a huge quantity of papers and photos which fill a small suitcase.
A totally outstanding RAF (Pathfinders) “Double Gallantry” group to a man who did some serious flying in WW2 and afterwards in the Queens Flight.
Fit for the finest collection.
£8995