Campaign Groups and Pairs

The emotive Second War Whitley pilot’s casualty campaign group of three awarded to Flying Officer T. H. Parrott, 77 Squadron, Royal Air Force, whose crew on 15/16 March 1940, ‘performed a feat which probably remained unparalleled for the rest of the war. Having dropped their Nickels on Warsaw they returned safely across Germany and then, because the weather was bad, put down as soon as possible after crossing - as they thought - the Franco-German frontier. A few words with the local peasantry quickly disillusioned them, but by that time German troops were approaching on cycles. The quick-witted crew promptly dashed back into the aircraft, took off under rifle fire, and landed safely, but rather shaken, at a French airfield.’ Parrott was to take part in another pioneering flight, albeit with more tragic results, when on 11/12 May 1940, ‘overnight, Bomber Command launched its first deliberate raid on a German town when rail communications passing through Mönchengladbach became the target for a small force of Whitleys and Hampdens.’ Parrott’s Whitley V N1366 KN was the first bomber to crash inside Germany while carrying out a bombing operation on a mainland target. Parrott and three other members of crew were killed in action, whilst the sole survivor was taken prisoner of war 1939-45 Star, 1 clasp, Bomber Command, with named box of issue for clasp; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, with named Air Council enclosure slip, and enclosure for Bomber Command clasp, good very fine (lot) £800-£1,200 --- M.I.D. London Gazette 20 February 1940. Thomas Hayward Parrott was the brother of Peter Parrott [see previous lot], and Noel Parrott who also served with Coastal Command during the war. He joined the Royal Air Force aged 19 in 1936. Parrott advanced to Flying Officer, and was posted for operational flying as a pilot to 77 Squadron (Whitleys) operating out of Driffield and then Villeneuve, France. During the early months of the war the Squadron was employed dropping Nickels, or propaganda leaflets, over enemy territory. On 15/16 March 1940, Parrott’s crew ‘performed a feat which probably remained unparalleled for the rest of the war. Having dropped their Nickels on Warsaw they returned safely across Germany and then, because the weather was bad, put down as soon as possible after crossing - as they thought - the Franco-German frontier. A few words with the local peasantry quickly disillusioned them, but by that time German troops were approaching on cycles. The quick-witted crew promptly dashed back into the aircraft, took off under rifle fire, and landed safely, but rather shaken, at a French airfield.’ (Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft by P. Moyes refers) The flight was featured in a Pathé News item, several newspapers, and further detail is provided in The Pilot In The Poster, by R. Parrott: ‘Tomlin and Parrott got out of the aircraft and walked towards a group of peasants running towards them. Tim asked “C’est France, n’est pas?” in his best schoolboy French. The peasant looked at him and shook his head. Tim tried again “Luxembourg alors?” There was another shake of the head but this time the man pointed towards one of his friends and said, “Hans Franzosich” meaning that Hans spoke French. Tim repeated his question. Hans responded “Non, Monsieur, c’est Allemagne, la frontiere est à vingt kilometres” and pointed in the direction of France. Not stopping to thank the Germans, the two crew turned and bolted for their aircraft. As they climbed in, another group of figures started running towards them from the far end of the field. Fortunately the engines started immediately and they raced to take off in the direction indicated by the helpful Hans. Red Verey lights appeared to be shot in their direction but did no damage. Fortunately they had enough petrol to cover 24 km, hedge-hopping over the Siegfried Line to the border, but they did not try to land until they knew that France was below, by a hoarding advertising a well-known French beverage! Even so, at Villeneuve the crew agreed not to stop the engines or disembark until the Flying Officer had gone off to make sure that they were in France. Later they discovered that they had fuel for just 20 minutes more flying after 12 hours in the air and covering a distance of 1,600 miles. When they returned to base they bought a bottle of champagne that they presented to the engine fitter of the ground crew to show their appreciation for the engines starting immediately whilst on the ground in Germany.’ Parrott was to take part in another pioneering flight, albeit with more tragic results, when on 11/12 May 1940, ‘overnight, Bomber Command launched its first deliberate raid on a German town when rail communications passing through Mönchengladbach became the target for a small force of Whitleys and Hampdens.’ (Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War refers) Parrott flew Whitley V N1366 KN, which ‘T/o Driffield. Crashed near Mönchengladbach, Germany. This was the first bomber to crash inside Germany while carrying out a bombing operation on a mainland target.’ (Ibid). Parrott and three other members of the crew were killed in action. The remaining member of the crew, Flying Officer Don Blew, survived and was taken prisoner of war. A number of years later, Parrott’s brothers Peter and Noel met with Blew and he gave them an account of what happened: ‘Tim had navigated out from Driffield while F/O Blew flew the Whitley. On the way they had discussed what they should do. On arrival Tim took over the controls. F/O Blew came back to the door on the port side. There was no intercom so the pilots had agreed that Tim would flash a torch when he wanted a flare dropped. Blew saw what he believed to be the first flash and dropped a flare and continued to do so each time he saw a flash. At about the time of the 5th flare he saw lots of little holes in the fuselage with little blue flames and then he saw a wall of flame coming down the fuselage towards him. Luckily he had his parachute on and he had only to put his hand on the door handle and lift it. Blew remembered this because it had been modified. Previously it had a handle that went down but it had been changed because someone had leant against it, pushing the handle down, and fallen out. As he jumped and opened his parachute he could see the flares he had dropped and the Whitley, a mass of flames, ahead of them. Blew survived the fall but was taken prisoner and incarcerated in Stalag Luff III at Sagan for the remainder of the war.... The Observer, Sergeant T. T. Atchison, the Wireless Operator, T. Poad, and the Air Gunner, AC2 Jones also perished. The four graves are now at 25.ED 11-14 in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery at Kleve in Germany. Their Whitley was the first bomber to crash inside Germany while carrying out a bombing operation on a mainland target during World War II.’ (The Pilot In The Poster by R. Parrott refers) Sold with the following related original items and documents: a fine photograph album predominantly relating to the recipient, but with later additions relating to his brother P. L. Parrot, including newspaper cuttings relating to both; a number of photographs from recipient’s service career, and of his grave; the family’s copy of A.A.S.F. by Charles Gardner, in which the recipient is pictured with his crew, having safely returned from their impromptu landing in Germany; with other ephemera.