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RAF WAR HERO’S MEDALS TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER
The medals which are up for auction
FOUR medals including a Distinguished Flying Medal, awarded to a fearless Wigan airman tragically killed in the Second World War are set to fetch up to £3,000 at auction.
Warrant Officer William Aspey was awarded the DFM in May 1944, just 12 weeks before he was killed on August 7, 1944.
He died when the Lancaster Bomber in which he was the rear gunner was shot down by an enemy fighter while returning from a raid over Bochum, Germany, aged just 22.
The plane came down - killing the entire crew of seven - near Bolbec in northern France. WO Aspey is buried with his crew at the Bolbec Communal Cemetery.
He was born at Wigan in 1921 and educated at St Patrick’s and St Mary’s RC schools before he went on to Wigan Mining and Technical College.
In May 1941, he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. In April 1943, he became an Air Gunner with 149 Squadron (Stirlings) at Lakenheath, Suffolk and flew in 27 bombing raids with the squadron.
In June 1944, he joined 7 Squadron (Lancasters), Path Finder Force, at Oakington, Cambridgeshire.
When he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in May 1944, the citation said: “Flight Sergeant Aspey has taken part in 27 operational sorties. He has attacked such heavily defended targets as Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin and on one occasion, when detailed to attack Bochum, Flight Sergeant Aspey’s aircraft was subjected to eight attacks by enemy fighter aircraft. Flight Sergeant Aspey has at all times continued to show the same keenness and zest for operations, his devotion to duty amongst other factors being of an extremely high degree.
He has set an outstanding example to his comrades.”
The Distinguished Flying Medal - which is silver with a violet and white diagonal ribbon - is awarded “for exceptional valour, courage or devotion to duty while flying in active operations against the enemy.” It was first awarded in 1918,but discontinued in 1993.
William Aspey’s DFM and his three other medals - a 1939-1945 Star; his Air Crew Europe Star,with France and Germany Bar,and War Medal - will be auctioned at Spink in Bloomsbury, London,on November 25.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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