Beschreibung:

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant 'We broke into them and I attacked the starboard aircraft of one formation. Immediately two Me. 109s attacked me from 3 o'clock and above, firing their guns. I turned to meet this attack and started to dog-fight with one of the E./A. I got on his tail and the Me. 109 did aileron turns down to 1,000 feet. When the E./A. pulled out, I was line astern and slightly below. He flew straight and level and I gave him a short burst of cannon and M.G., immediately seeing strikes on the fuselage and black smoke and small pieces coming off. I closed to very short range giving long bursts of cannon and M.G.; white smoke and flames started to come from the engine. The E./A. had slowed down considerably and was going down towards the deck. I was then attacked by two 109s and I broke into them. I returned to base as I was running short of fuel. The Army confirm the E./A. crashed near Venafro.' 'Paddy' Turkington, then a Flight Lieutenant in No. 43 "Fighting Cocks" Squadron, describes one of his victories gained over Italy in November 1943; his combat report, refers. The outstanding - and deeply poignant - Second World War fighter ace's D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar group of seven awarded to Squadron Leader R. W. 'Paddy' Turkington, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve With a confirmed total of 11 'kills' to his name - three of them shared - plus a 'probable' and four damaged, he emerged as one of the most successful pilots to hail from the 'Emerald Isle' in the last war, second only to the likes of Wing Commanders B. E. F. 'Paddy' Finucane and J. I. 'Killy' Kilmartin Having lent valuable service in Operation "Jubilee" off Dieppe in August 1942, Turkington opened his account in a Hurricane of No. 43 Squadron - the "Fighting Cocks"- over North Africa in late November 1942: on converting to Spitfires in the following year, he added swiftly to his score over Sicily and Italy, five enemy aircraft falling to his guns in November 1943 alone Then in July 1944, as a Flight Commander in No. 241 Squadron, he raised his score to double figures, destroying four Me. 109s, two of them on the same day. His subsequent - and 'brilliant leadership' - of No. 601 Squadron was marked by numerous episodes of high valour. On one occasion he made no fewer than six attacks on a heavily defended enemy strongpoint until reducing it to 'burning wreckage'; his Spitfire returned to base in a badly shot-up state at an alarming rate - but he treated such episodes 'in a characteristically light-hearted manner' Tragically he was killed in a flying accident in July 1945, aged 26 years, a tragedy compounded by the circumstances of the Air Ministry's notification of his death: as his mother opened the telegram in question on 2 August 1944, she understood it to be confirmation her gallant son's long-awaited home leave Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated '1945'; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverses of the Cross and the Bar officially dated '1944', with its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with embroidered R.A.F. 'Wing's' and his R.A.F. Officer's cap badge, the whole stored in a varnished wooden case, with lower recess for the storage of wartime documentation (see below), and as treasured by his mother, generally good very fine (9) D.S.O. London Gazette 20 April 1945. The original recommendation - submitted by Group Captain H. S. L. 'Cocky' Dundas - states: 'Squadron Leader Turkington took over command of 601 Squadron on 2 August 1944, at which time he was awarded a Bar to his D.F.C. for brilliant fighter and strafing work with 241 squadron. Since that time he has carried out 81 fighter-bomber sorties, bringing his total operational hours to 615 and his total operational sorties to 453. Squadron Leader Turkington is now O.T.E. Squadron Leader Tu