Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry
could see nothing and had no sensation of falling. I don’t remember pulling the rip cord but I know I was very surprised at the “jerk” I felt; it was nothing like as severe as I had been led to believe. The chute opened perfectly - even the pilot who was down to nearly 2000 feet, before being able to leave the aircraft, made a successful descent, although owing to an awkward landing he sustained minor fractures in both legs. Both the Air Gunner and I were unhurt.’
In February 1942, his injuries healed and now a member of the celebrated ‘Caterpillar Club’, Grimsey returned to operations with 14 Squadron. Commissioned in the following month, he participated in three more sorties, including two anti-submarine patrols and in June 1942, when he flew in a number of raids against Heraklion aerodrome on Crete, and enemy units in the Sidi Barrani area. By this stage of the North Africa operations his Commanding Officer was Wing Commander R. ‘Boffin’ Maydell, who would later describe how the Squadron’s mounting casualties were beginning to have a serious effect on morale - in April 1942 alone, 14 Squadron lost 21 Blenheims and 28 aircrew, the majority as a result of accidents caused by a shift from daylight formation bombing to night bombing.
In August 1942, 14 Squadron became the first R.A.F. unit to be equipped with Martin B-26 Marauders, then considered one of the fastest and most advanced day bombers ever built, but notoriously difficult to handle, so much so that the aircraft type quickly became known as the ‘Widow Maker’. Grimsey completed his first outing in the type in November 1942, a reconnaissance over Crete. The majority of operations over the next year were carried out in the Aegean theatre of war. Some of the more notable examples including a torpedo strike on a 4,000-ton enemy merchant vessel off Melos on 31 January 1943 - which resulted in a 15-minute counter-attack by Ju. 88s, one of which was claimed as a probable; and, as the Squadron moved to new hunting grounds off the Albanian, Italian, and Yugoslavian coasts, the destruction of an enemy radio station north of Durazzo on 2 November 1943, when Grimsey led three Spitfire squadrons and remained over the target to witness the successful conclusion of the operation, afterwards gaining photographic evidence of the same - ‘the Spitboys did a grand job as usual’, he later commented to a Reuters reporter. But in between such successes were a number of sorties that resulted in Grimsey’s Marauder coming under return fire, his flying log book referring to several close shaves - ‘Fired at and hit by enemy convoy … Chased by Me. 109s … Chased by enemy fighters … Fired at by Auxiliary vessel and a. /c. … Attacked by Arado Float Plane … &c.’. He also completed a successful Air Sea Rescue mission on 20 October 1943, when he located a Sergeant Ritchie in his dingy in the Adriatic and circled until a Walrus aircraft had effected his rescue.
Having had just a four month ‘rest’ in England as an instructor in the summer of 1943, he left the Squadron in January 1944, by which time he had completed 49 operational sorties. Having spent the previous four months as an Acting Squadron Leader of 14 Squadron, in February 1944, Grimsey was promoted Acting Wing Commander and Commanding Officer of 52 Squadron. Flying Baltimores out of Sicily and Gibraltar, he took part in anti-U-boat patrols, before being posted 24 Squadron in May 1944. 24 Squadron was at this time a ‘V.I.P. Flight’, operating Dakotas out of Hendon. During an appointment that Grimsey was to hold until July 1947, he took part in a great number of missions, many of huge importance: as evidenced by his flying log books and subsequent A.F.C. recommendation he flew countless missions, not least as leader of the 11 aircraft assigned to Operation Argonaut, the R.A.F’s part in the famous Yalta Conference in January 1945. In fact his duties, latterly as part of Transport Command, took him to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France (including return flights to Paris with the Secretary of State for War), Germany (including work for the War Crimes Commission at Nuremberg), Gibraltar (where, at short notice, in ‘exceptionally poor weather conditions’, he flew out the Governor and his wife, Lady Eastwood, to Northolt), India, Italy, Malta, Norway, and Switzerland, amongst other locations.
In July 1948 Grimsey was despatched to Germany to assist with the planning and running of Operation Plainfare, otherwise known as the Berlin Airlift, himself participating in a number of flights with V.I.P.s or freight, prior to returning to the U.K. in September 1949 to an appointment at R.A.F. North Luffenham. For his services he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Grimsey’s subsequent appointments included a stint at H.Q. Transport Command (Training) and as a N.A.T.O. Staff Officer in 1954. Latterly employed at the R.A.F. Record Office, and on further training duties, with the occasional ride in jets, he was placed on the Retired List in the course of 1968.
Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s three Royal Air Force Flying Log Books, covering his flying between August 1940 and 1964; the recipient’s Civil Flying Log Book; Northern Ireland Air Ministry Certificate of Competency and Licence to Fly Private Flying Machines; Buckingham Palace enclosure letter for the O.B.E. and related warrants , dated May 1949, and several congratulatory letters regarding the same; Caterpillar Club membership card; Czech Pilot’s Flying Badge certificate of award and related forwarding letter from the Czech Inspectorate, London; Coronation Medal 1953 Bestowal Certificate; M.O.D. retirement letter; wartime I.D. tags; together with the recipient’s record of service and other research.
18
A Great War M.B.E. pair awarded to Commander H. K. N. Thurston, Plymouth Special Constabulary
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1917, in Garrard, London, case of issue; Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue, 1 clasp ‘The Great War 1914-18’ (Cmdr Hugh K. N. Thurston, M.B.E.); together with a mounted set of corresponding miniature awards, extremely fine (2)
£140-£180 M.B.E. London Gazette 7 January 1918: Hugh Kingsmill Neville Thurston Esq., Commander, Plymouth Special Constabulary.
19
A 1940 M.B.E. group of four awarded to Captain A. E. Bonham, Royal Army Medical Corps, who was three times Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the French Medaille des Epidemies for his service during the Great War
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver, in Royal Mint case of issue; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. A. E. Bonham); France, Third Republic, Medaille des Epidemies, embossed naming (M. A. E. Bonham 1920), last three mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £200-£240
M.B.E. London Gazette 31 December 1940. M.I.D. London Gazettes 12 May 1918, 27 August 1918, and 5 June 1918. French Medaille des Epidemies (en Vermeil) London Gazette 15 December 1919.
Arthur Ernest Bonham was born in Exeter on 15 April 1879. He served as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorial Army) during the Great War, entering the Mesopotamian Theatre in October 1916. During his service he was three times Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the French Medaille des Epidemies (en Vermeil) in December 1919. In later life he continued to work in the health industry and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division), for his service as Chief Sanitary Inspector in Exeter. He died in 1971.
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