Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry 154


A rare Second World War withdrawal from Greece D.F.M. group of six awarded to Warrant Officer W. H. Yates, Royal Air Force, who completed over 100 sorties in Sunderlands of No. 230 Squadron and was later elected to the membership of the Goldfish Club after his aircraft was shot down by the gunners of an Italian submarine off Tobruk in August 1941 - taken P.O.W., he went on to make at least two escape attempts


Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (536375 L.A.C. W. H. Yates, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Malta, 50th Anniversary Medal, good very fine or better (6)


£2,000-£2,600 D.F.M. London Gazette 21 November 1941.


The original recommendation states: ‘L.A.C. Yates was Rigger/Air Gunner in Sunderland L2166 during the evacuation from Greece. L2166 carried out 58 hours and 10 minutes of operational flying and carried 138 passengers during the evacuation operations between 17 April and 2 May 1941. Although called upon to work both day and night and often 24 hours at a stretch, he has never once failed any demand. His devotion to duty and continual cheerfulness under adverse conditions has been a continual inspiration to the officers and men of the aircraft. L.A.C. Yates has carried out 102 sorties totalling 657.40 operational hours since the outbreak of war with Italy. He has been under continual operations during this period. The serviceability of the machine has been such that not once has it failed to answer requirements. This has been largely due to this airman. He has been involved in five enemy actions. His devotion to duties, which not only included those of an Air Gunner, but also the maintenance of his aircraft, have been outstanding, particularly when operating from advanced bases without the usual ground staff facilities.’


William Henry Yates, who was born in April 1917, enlisted in the Royal Air Force in November 1936. Trained as a Fitter, he would in fact volunteer for services as an Air Gunner after the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, in which capacity he was actively engaged in Sunderlands of No. 230 Squadron in the Middle East.


In fact, as cited above, he completed no less than 100 operational sorties during the period of operations that witnessed the withdrawal from Greece and Crete, and was involved in at least five combats, including actions with CANT 506s on 15 September 1940 and 2 February 1941. And on a trip to Iraq during the uprising there in May, a bullet entered his Sunderland’s hull just six inches from his gun position. But probably the hottest engagement he experienced was against a U-Boat on 12 June 1941 - ‘I opened up with the front gun, raking the submarine’s deck ... after three attacks the sub. dived ... I don’t know how the enemy gunner felt, but I did not like seeing tracer coming up towards me.’


In an accompanying letter, Yates describes another unusual operation: ‘I was a crew member of one of two lone R.A.F. Sunderland flying boats which flew from Greece onto Kotor Bay, Montengro, and evacuated, under the nose of the advancing Germans, 22 British and Yugoslav V.I.Ps. Among the evacuees was an elderly British padre, his wife and a shot down R.A.F. Pilot Officer. The Padre informed me they were all on the German ‘Hit List’. It was on 17 April 1941 that we powered our way off the Gulf of Kotor, at 0415 hours, to return to Scaramangi, Greece, our temporary base, safely with the V.I.Ps. It was the day the Yugoslav Royal Army capitulated to the Germans.’


Then, as outlined in his flying log book, tragedy struck on a night patrol on 1 August 1941, his Sunderland being shot down off Tobruk by the gunners of an Italian submarine - eight of his fellow crew were killed, himself and three others being fortunate to be picked up by the submarine.


Yates subsequently made two escape attempts, the first of them at the time of the Italian capitulation when he found refuge with a sympathetic local family, but he was afterwards re-captured and entrained for Germany. Here, a second opportunity arose, for, with a Corporal Neil of the R.A.S.C., he departed a cattle truck at Udine in Northern Italy, but was once more re-captured.


Repatriated at the War’s end, he was released from service as a Warrant Officer in November 1945.


Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s R.A.F. Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, covering the period October 1939 to August 1941; his R.A.F. Certificate of Service and Release; his Goldfish Club membership card, dated 1 August 1941, Returned British Prisoners of War Association membership card; several wartime photographs; his U.K. Ministry of Aviation Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence, dated January 1962; a copy of Handle with Care, by R. Anderson and D. Westmacott; a much longer typed account of the above mentioned mission to collect V.I.Ps at Kotor Bay, and official correspondence regarding his Malta 50th Anniversary Medal.


www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 20% (+VAT where applicable)


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