Nine: Flight Lieutenant W. F. Diggins, Royal Air Force, late Middlesex Regiment and East...

Nine: Flight Lieutenant W. F. Diggins, Royal Air Force, late Middlesex Regiment and East Surrey Regiment, a recipient of the scarce clasp for Southern Desert, Iraq, who was subsequently Mentioned in Despatches for his services in Burma British War and Victory Medals (240465 Sjt. W. F. Diggins. Midd’x R.); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (2776 Pte. W. F. Diggins. Midd’x R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Southern Desert, Iraq (358877. Cpl. W. F. Diggins. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, this with reverse pin; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (358877. F/Sgt. W. F. Diggins. R.A.F.) all housed in a glazed display frame, polished, minor edge bruising, nearly very fine and better (9) £1,200-£1,600 --- M.I.D. London Gazette 14 January 1944: ‘For gallant and distinguished services in Burma.’ Walter Frederick Diggins was born in Paddington, London, on 31 October 1890, and attested for the Middlesex Regiment (Territorial Force) on 22 January 1909. Mobilised on the outbreak of the Great War, he initially served with the 2/8th Battalion, and was stationed in Gibraltar from September 1914 to March 1915. Advanced Sergeant on 10 July 1915, he transferred to the 7th Battalion on 19 July 1917, and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 11 October 1917. Four days later he transferred as a Sergeant to the East Surrey Regiment, and was posted to the 1st Battalion. It was during the Third Battle of Ypres on 6 November 1917 that Diggins was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to the left leg, that necessitated his evacuation for treatment via No. 2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station to No. 22 General Base Hospital, and then to England with Cambridge Hospital at Aldershot. Diggins did not see any further active service during the war, but was reduced to Corporal after being found guilty by a District Court Martial for absence without leave on two occasions, the first time from 21 to 27 December 1917, when he then admitted himself for treatment to the Hounslow Military Hospital, and for the second time between 5 and 23 January 1918, being reduced to Corporal on 13 February 1918. He was disembodied on demobilisation on 20 March 1919. Diggins subsequently re-enlisted as a Corporal in the Army Reserve on 2 September 1922, and remained as such until he enlisted as an Aircraftman 2nd Class into the Royal Air Force on 17 November 1924. Posted from the Depot to the Armament and Gunnery School on 26 February 1925, he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on 31 December 1925, and then joined 99 Bomber Squadron on 6 January 1926, before being posted to the School of Technical Training on 13 July 1926, and then to ‘M’ Depot Squadron from 5 November 1926. Posted out to Iraq on 7 December 1926, he joined No. 4 Armoured Car Company on 27 December 1926. Having transferred to the Armoured Car Wing in Iraq on 1 April 1927, and been promoted to Corporal on 1 March 1928, he rejoined No. 4 Armoured Car Company on 3 April 1928, and was at some staged attached to No. 5 Armoured Car Company. 1i 1928 he saw service in the operations against the Akhwan in the Southern Desert of Iraq, service which qualified him for the General Service Medal 1918-1962, with the rare clasp for Southern Desert, Iraq. Posted back to the Armoured Car Wing on 24 October 1928, Diggins was posted to Headquarters Middle East on 14 November 1928, and then to No. 2 Armoured Car Company on 13 November 1928. Promoted Sergeant on 1 December 1932, he was posted home on 26 April 1934. After a period of leave, and also a spell in hospital, he was posted to the Air Armaments School on 28 August 1934, and was then posted back out to the Middle East on 9 April 1935, where he joined 45 Bomber Squadron on 20 April 1935. After service in Egypt, where he was promoted to Flight Sergeant on 1 February 1937, he was posted back to the home establishment on 1 April 1937. Posted to No. 1 Air Armaments School at Eastchurch on 22 April 1938, he moved with the unit to Manby on 15 August 1938, where he was serving on the outbreak of the Second World War, being promoted to temporary Warrant Officer on 23 September 1939, his award of the Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was announced on 7 November 1939. Diggins was posted to 263 Squadron on 4 November 1939, a fighter unit equipped with Gloster Gladiators which then operated out of R.A.F. Filton near Bristol. Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940 and 263 Squadron was soon instructed to prepare for a move. On 20 April, the aircraft were flown, via R.A.F. Sealand, to Scapa Flow, where Fleet Air Arm pilots landed them on the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Glorious and 18 Gladiators sailed for Norway. On 24 April, after two days sailing, the Squadron flew its aircraft off the carrier to a landing strip on the frozen lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Oppland in central southern Norway. Unfortunately for the enterprise, the squadron was extremely short of ground staff and equipment and few of its Gladiators had been prepared for combat, when the Luftwaffe struck with Heinkel 111s shortly after daybreak on 25 April. By the end of 26 April, although 263 Squadron had managed to destroy two Heinkels, all of its aircraft had been destroyed or rendered unserviceable and by the end of the month the squadron was ordered home. The re-equipped squadron returned to the far north of Norway on 21 May, flying from Bardufoss airfield, near Narvik, reinforced by 46 Squadron whose Hurricanes arrived a few days later, using an airstrip at Skånland. Due to unsuitable ground at Skånland, 46 Squadron moved so that both were operating from Bardufoss by 27 May. The squadrons had been ordered to defend the fleet anchorage at Skånland and the military base at Harstad on the island of Hinnoya. Action was short but intense before the squadrons were instructed on 2 June to prepare for evacuation; 263 Squadron had flown 249 sorties and claimed 26 enemy aircraft destroyed. 263's ten surviving Gladiators were landed on H.M.S. Glorious on 7 June. Glorious sailed but was intercepted by the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. She was sunk and along with the aircraft from four squadrons. 263 Squadron lost its CO, S/Ldr John W Donaldson, F/Lt Alvin T Williams and P.O. Sidney Robert McNamara along with seven other pilots. Posted to another fighter unit, 79 Squadron, on 2 March 1942, Diggins then moved with the squadron to India, arriving there in May 1942, where the squadron flew primarily ground attack missions, initially with later mark cannon armed Hurricanes. It was for his services whilst still a Warrant Officer that Diggins was Mentioned in Despatches. Commissioned Flying Officer on 10 August 1943, and posted to the Technical Branch, he saw service out in Burma, and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 10 August 1946. He transferred to the Retired List on 6 March 1947. Sold with the recipient’s original M.I.D. Certificate; and copied research.