A good Second War ‘1945’ A.F.C., ‘1943’ D.F.M. group of six awarded to Whitley and Stirling pilot, Flight Lieutenant F. H. J. Ashley, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who flew in at least 45 operational sorties with 102, 51 and 149 Squadrons, and the Thousand Bomber Raids to Cologne and Essen whilst stationed with No. 15 O.T.U. During the course of his service, his crew claimed at least 2 enemy aircraft shot down, and he became a member of the Caterpillar Club when he was forced to abandon his aircraft due to damage sustained during a raid on Mannheim, 6 February 1942 Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’, in Royal Mint case of issue; Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1578411 F/Sgt. F. H. J. Ashley. R.A.F.) in named card box of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the campaign awards in card box of issue with enclosure slips, addressed to ‘F/L F. H. J. Ashely, A.F.C., D.F.M., The Crest, High Oakham Hill, Mansfield, Notts’; together with the recipient’s 2 Caterpillar Club Badges, both gold, one with ’ruby’ eyes, the other missing the eyes, both reverses engraved ‘F/Sgt F. H. J. Ashley’, good very fine (lot) £3,000-£4,000 --- A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1945. The original recommendation states: ‘1653 Conversion Unit. Total instructional hours - 1010; completed during the last six months - 220. This officer has been a Stirling instructor since April, 1943. His work has always been of a high standard and has been of the greatest value in solving difficulties attendant on the formation of two Conversion Units. His work in the air has been supplemented by lectures on both tactics and airmanship. For the last three months he has been Acting Flight Commander. Flight Lieutenant Ashley has been an able Flight Commander.’ D.F.M. London Gazette 9 July 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘Flight Sergeant Ashley has now completed his second tour of operations, involving altogether 48 successful sorties. He has participated in attacks on all the most heavily defended targets in Germany and the occupied countries, and during his past tour he has been attacked six times by fighters, two of which were destroyed. His coolness and courage on these operations have been largely instrumental in the safe return of the aircraft and crew. One night in December when he was attacking Mannheim, the aircraft was subjected to heavy and accurate fire; but the bombs were dropped according to plan before the aircraft was hit, rendering the elevator controls useless and badly damaging the Port Outer engine. Flight Sergeant Ashley however, maintained control of the aircraft by the sole use of the ailerons and trimming gear and brought it back to England where a landing could not be attempted owing to a very low cloud base and the difficulty in controlling the aircraft. When the Port Outer engine failed completely, F/Sgt. Ashley gave the order to abandon the aircraft and this was accomplished successfully although the Port Inner engine also failed during the procedure. Flight Sergeant Ashley’s enthusiasm and determination have been of the highest order and he has proved himself an exceptional captain. He is strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.’ Francis Herbert James Ashley was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in April 1919, and was the youngest son of Mr and Mrs R. Ashley of Wake Hill Farm, Mansfield Woodhouse. He was educated at Oundle School, and was in training to be a civil engineer prior to enlisting in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in May 1939. Ashley carried out initial training as a Pilot at No. 27 E. & R. F.T.S. and No. 22 E.F.T. He was mobilised, granted an Emergency Commission as Pilot Officer on probation in October 1940, and posted to No. 10 O.T.U., Abingdon, the same month. Ashley was posted for operational flying with ‘A’ Flight, 102 Squadron (Whitleys) from Linton in January 1941. He flew in at least 15 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Bordeaux (2); Hanover; Duisberg; Cologne; Hamburg (3); Bremen (2); Lorient; Kiel (2); Berlin; and Brest. Ashley’s commission terminated on cessation of duty in August 1941, and he was allowed to re-enlist in the ranks. Ashley advanced to Flight Sergeant and returned to operational flying with ‘A’ Flight, 51 Squadron (Whitleys) from Dishforth in September 1941. He flew in at least 10 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Stettin; Nuremberg; Wilhemshaven; Mannheim; Frankfurt; Hamburg; Aachen; Emden; Brest and St. Nazaire. Ashley was posted to No. 15 O.T.U., Mount Farm, to convert to Wellingtons in February 1942. Whilst stationed with the latter, he took part in the Thousand Bomber Raids to Cologne, 30/31 May 1942, and to Essen, 1 June 1942. Ashley was posted to No. 1657 Conversion Unit at Stradishall in September 1942. He returned to operational flying when he was posted to 149 (East India) Squadron (Stirlings) at Lakenheath in November 1942. Ashley’s first sortie with the squadron was to Mannheim, 6 December 1942 (see D.F.M. recommendation). The following extract from Canadian Calendar, dated 4 January 1945, gives additional detail about the operation from the perspective of a Canadian member of Ashley’s crew: ‘Another member of the R.C.A.F. who was recently returning from his first operational flight over Germany was Sergeant Walter Morris of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Morris is navigator bomb-aimer in a s Stirling squadron with the R.A.F. The target was successfully bombed but on the return trip, the plane was hit by flak over France and the elevator controls were shot away. In this condition the plane could only fly in a level position, going neither up nor or down. The pilot told the crew to stand by to bail out but on investigation it was found that the plane had a chance to get back to base before this was necessary. Two hours later, the plane was over England. It was pretty awkward, said Morris, with dense clouds below us and an altitude of 6,000 feet, not being able to get below them. Morris landed in a muddy field, some 30 miles from London and other crew members landed within a 10-mile radius. Only two of the crew members were injured. One is recovering from a fractured spine and the other broke two toes when his parachute dragged him along the ground, but Morris hasn’t a scratch to show for his 6,000 foot leap.’ Ashley eventually abandoned the aircraft near Maidenhead, and returned to carry out a further 20 sorties with the Squadron, including: Hamburg; Frisian Islands; Lorient; Cologne (2), including 14 February 1943, ‘Heavy A.A. Bombed 10500’ 1 Stick. 4 Fighter Attacks. 1 Ju.88 Destroyed’ (Log Book refers); Lorient; Nuremburg; St. Nazaire (2); Berlin (3), including 1 March 1943, ‘Medium AA. Shot up by Flak & Enemy Fighters...’ (Ibid); Munich; Mining Gironde; Duisberg (2); Frankfurt, 10 April 1943, ‘Heavy A.A... 1 Me.110 Destroyed’ (Ibid); Stuttgart; Mannheim and Rostock. Ashley was commissioned Pilot Officer on probation once again in April 1943, advanced to Flying Officer in October of the same year, and to Flight Lieutenant in April 1945. He was posted as an instructor to No. 1657 Conversion Unit in May 1943, transferred to No. 1654 C.U. in December of the same year, and to No. 1653 in the New Year. Ashley saw out the remainder of the war at the latter, and was released from service in November 1945. He died in Mansfield in July 1995. Sold with the following related items and documents: 2 Royal Air Force Pilot’s Flying Log Books (20 May 1939 - 16 August 1943 and 17 August 1943 - 9 November 194...
