MISCELLANEOUS 653
AN ORIGINAL FLYING LOG BOOK APPERTAINING TO Captain J. S. Green, M.C., Royal Air Force, late Royal Flying Corps, comprising Pilot’s Flying Log Book (Army Book 425), inscribed to ‘J. S. Green, Captain, Royal Air Force’, covering the period August until November 1918, with numerous flights as an instructor in D.H. 6s, R.E. 8s and Avros, together with a quantity of related research, in excellent condition
£300-350
John Spencer Green, who was born in July 1891, originally enlisted in the 21/London Regiment and went out to France as a Corporal in mid-March 1915. Transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in September 1916, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, qualified for his aviator’s certificate, and was posted to No. 13 Squadron out in France in April 1917, in which capacity he remained actively employed until transferring as a Temporary Captain and Flight Commander in No. 59 Squadron in January 1918.
The following combat report relates to the action referred to in his subsequent award of the M.C., a photographic artillery observation patrol in one of the Squadron’s R.E. 8s on 28 December 1917:
‘Whilst on photography over Monchy Le Preux at 12.10 p.m. at 7500 feet, we saw an enemy two-seater machine about 300 yards away and slightly above, also apparently engaged on photography. Pilot turned in underneath the machine and the Observer engaged from underneath, firing over our top-plane. On the first burst from the Observer’s gun, black smoke was seen to issue from the engine of the hostile machine, which tried to avoid our fire by diving. Pilot kept underneath the machine, however, which passed directly over us 50 yards above, the Observer firing continually. The hostile machine then turned directly towards the line and endeavoured to dive away. Pilot turned and dived after him, keeping continuously just below the line of his tail plane and zooming up fired several bursts with the front gun. The enemy machine was followed down right to the ground where it was seen to effect a good landing west of Monchy Le Preux (N6c, Sheet 51B) and the occupants got out apparently unhurt.’
Green was awarded the M.C., the London Gazette of 16 August 1918 stating:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has proved himself to be a skilful artillery pilot, and has frequently carried out observation a long distance over the enemy’s lines under heavy anti-aircraft fire. On one occasion he drove down an enemy two-seater machine and forced it to land in our lines. He has set a splendid example to his squadron.’
Having joined No. 59 Squadron in January 1918, Green was admitted to hospital that May, following which he took up instructional duties back in the U.K. He was demobilised in April 1919; sold with a quantity of related research.
654
Flight Lieutenant Spencer (top left) and crew
THE ORIGINAL WARTIME FLYING LOG BOOK APPERTAINING TO Flight Lieutenant A. Spencer, Royal Air Force, a Flight Engineer in Coastal Command who completed over 800 hours of operational flying in Catalina and Fortress aircraft, comprising Royal Air Force Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book (Form 1767), commencing with training flights at Walney Island in June 1942 and ending with flights in Fortress aircraft of No. 521 Squadron at Langham in October 1945, with extensive operational flying in between, together with two photographs, a copy of H.M.S.O’s illustrated history Coastal Command (1942), and H.M.S.O’s Pilot’s and Flight Engineer’s Notes - Sunderland V, generally in excellent condition (Lot)
£200-250
Spencer commenced his training at an Air Gunnery School at Walney Island in June 1942, transferred to No. 4 (Coastal Command) Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.) at Invergordon in the following month and, duly qualified as a Flight Engineer, was posted to No. 270 Squadron, a Catalina unit, in Freetown, West Africa, in November 1942. Completing his first operational sortie - an anti-submarine patrol in early December - he remained actively employed with 270 Squadron until the end of 1943, in which period he completed around another 70 operational sorties, duties including coastal reconnaissance and escort work, in addition to U-Boat patrols. Back in the U.K., Spencer attended another O.T.U. at Alness, where he gained time on Sunderlands, prior to being posted to No. 521 Squadron, a meteorological unit operating in Fortress aircraft out of Langham, in January 1945, and he remained similarly employed until beyond V.E. Day, his operational hours climbing to the 820 mark after a dozen or more “Rhombus” missions.
www.dnw.co.uk
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