A fine and superbly well-documented Second War Hurricane and Spitfire fighter Ace's 'Western...

A fine and superbly well-documented Second War Hurricane and Spitfire fighter Ace’s ‘Western Desert’ D.F.C. group of eight awarded to Wing Commander J. M. Morgan, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He had distinguished himself pre-War by saving the life of a fellow trainee pilot from a crashed aircraft at No. 10 F.T.S. on 19 December 1938, and optimistically chased an enemy aircraft in a Hawker Henley during the height of the Battle of Britain whilst posted with No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit - Morgan followed it all the way to Swansea before ‘allowing’ a Spitfire to take over. Destined for more glamorous flying opportunities, Morgan was posted to the famous 92 (East India) Squadron at the end of 1941. Like the rest of the squadron’s pilots he was attached to 80 Squadron in the Western Desert, whilst his parent unit was eventually kitted out with aircraft. Having destroyed several enemy aircraft whilst flying Hurricanes, Morgan was now unleashed on 92’s newly acquired Spitfires. Morgan’s flying prowess quickly came to the fore, with him rapidly being appointed a Flight Commander, before receiving the ultimate accolade: the command of 92 Squadron in December 1942 - January 1943. He led from the front, ‘in the course of the fight [7 January 1943] I shot a 109G down in flames, crashing in the sea... and damaged a second. I finally had to fight two 109’s without ammunition for 30 minutes until my aircraft received hits from a head on attack which forced me to take evasive action - the 109’s then beat it home. This was a very shaky engagement with the bullets narrowly missing my head!!!’ Morgan subsequently commanded No. 234 Wing during the short-lived defence of the island of Kos, before being appointed to the command of 274 Squadron in October 1943. Now flying Spitfires as fighter bombers, Morgan led the Squadron into Italy and on many low-level attacks: ‘we attacked several Tiger tanks and armoured cars with front guns in the Capestrano area [24 January 1944]. I strafed a tank on a mountain pass which rolled over the side into the valley below...’ Morgan was shot down by anti-aircraft fire whilst carrying out a low-level strafe near Terni, 28 February 1944. In his words: ‘Shot down over the lines after gun fight - parachuted into captivity.’ He arrived to be interned at the infamous Stalag Luft III, Sagan, just three days after the ‘Great Escape’. Carrying on in service after the war, Morgan commanded 208 Squadron in the Canal Zone at the time of the fighting following the creation of the state of Israel Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1943’; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany, this loose; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Society for the Protection of Life from Fire, 5th type (1902-83), silver (John Milne Morgan, Bletchley. 19-12-38) with integral top riband bar, in John Pinches, London leather case of issue; Queen’s Messenger Badge, E.II.R., silver-gilt and enamel with pendant silver greyhound, badge reverse inscribed, ‘75’, hallmarks for London ‘1964’, in Garrard & Co. Ltd case of issue, Second War awards mounted as worn, generally good very fine (lot) (9) £10,000-£15,000 --- D.F.C. London Gazette 5 February 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘This Officer arrived in the Western Desert with No. 92 Squadron at the beginning of July when the Squadron was flying Hurricane aircraft of No. 80 Squadron. Since then he has shown great courage and considerable skill as a leader, both of a Flight and of the Squadron. In fact, a large proportion of the Squadron’s score in the Middle East has been due to this Officer’s determined leading of his Flight. He, personally, has destroyed 5 enemy aircraft, probably destroyed 1 more and damaged 4 others. By his courage, qualities of leadership and his personal example, he has made his Flight into an efficient fighting unit.’ Society for the Protection of Life from Fire: Case No. 17,324: Flight Lieutenant John Milne Morgan, Royal Air Force: Silver medal An account of the circumstances is given in Air Council Letter, dated 31 March 1939, thus: 'To Air Officer Commanding, No. 23 (Training Group), RAF Grantham, Lincs. Sir, With reference to your letter dated 7th February 1939 (No. 23G735/102/P(20)), I am commanded by the Air Council to inform you that they have noted with satisfaction the gallantry and perseverance displayed by Acting Pilot Officer J M Morgan in attempting to rescue Acting Pilot Officer W A Jenns following an aircraft accident at Bletchley on 19th December 1938. The council have caused a suitable note to be made in Acting Pilot Officer Morgan's record and I am to request that the officer may be informed accordingly'. The award was then noted in the SPLF Letter, dated 17 August 1939, thus: ‘To The Under Secretary of State, Air Ministry, S7D, Adastral House, Kingsway, London, WC2. Re: Acting Pilot Officer J M Morgan in Aeroplane crash at Bletchley, near Tern Hill - 19th December 1938. The circumstances of this case have been reported to us and the Trustees have decided to make an award of the Society's Silver Medal to Acting Pilot Officer J M Morgan. At the request of the Group Captain, No. 10 Flying Training School, Market Drayton, I am forwarding the medal to you under separate cover today. We should be greatly obliged if you would advise us of its safe receipt and be so good as to give such instructions as may commend themselves to you for its presentation to the recipient'. Both letter and medal were forwarded for conferral, the details being recorded in RAF correspondence thus: ‘HQ, No. 22 Group, RAF letter - 24 August 1939. To No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit - Re: Pilot Officer J M Morgan. The attached copy of a letter received from the Society for the Protection of Life from Fire is forwarded together with the Silver Medal referred to therein, and it is requested that you will arrange for this award to be presented to the above named officer in a suitable manner, details of the presentation being notified to this Headquarters in due course.’ John Milne Morgan was a native of Balham, London, and was born in 1916. He was educated at Bonneville Road School, Clapham Park and the Henry Thornton School, Clapham Common. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1935, and was commissioned Pilot Officer in 1938. Morgan carried out his initial pilot training at No. 8 E.F.T.S., Reading and No. 10 F.T.S., Tern Hill - being stationed at the latter when he saved the life of Pilot Officer W. A. Jenns when Hart K5795 crashed on 19 December 1938. He was posted as a pilot to No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit, Farnborough in March 1939, and was still serving with the unit when was war was declared in September of the same year. Morgan carried on serving with the unit with its various moves to Carew Cheriton and Cleave, and was doubtless frustrated by his posting as the Battle of Britain evolved. His limited aircraft - the Hawker Henley - did not stop him from having an optimistic go at an enemy aircraft on 6 September 1940: ‘Z.C. 6000. Spotted enemy aircraft 1,000ft below chased to Swansea, Spitfire took over.’ (Log Book refers). Despite such incidences as above, and the ‘ticker tape’ entitlement slip which shows Morgan as entitled to the Battle of Britain clasp, there is no other evidence to suggest that he qualified for the clasp. However, that did not preclude him from other sightings and scrapes with enemy aircraft during the...