RAF WOP / Air Gunner Log Book & Tunic 2 Tours DFM
A superb RAF "Two Tour" Log Book & Tunic to a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, who was awarded a DFM for Gallantry, by the King,
RAF Flight Sergeant (later F/Lt) William Roy Street was one of the very few Bomber Command Aircrew who survived the War, after entering it so early on in 1940.
He had incredibly completed Two Tours of Operations by September 1942 (at least 56 Op's) !
The majority of these were difficult Targets over France, Germany, Holland & Italy.
Even more remarkable was that these were completed in the slow fabric covered twin engined Vickers Wellington and the larger more cumbersome four engined Short Stirling.
F/Sgt Street started his Flying Operations with RAF 40 Squadron based at RAF Alconbury.
He flew as part of pilot Sgt Cowsill's crew, as Front Gunner in Wellington bombers.
His first 'Op' was on the night of 17th June 1941, to Boulogne and it ended with the aircraft crash landing at base.
Not a good start !
Further Ops then followed over a four month intense period to - Boulogne, Cologne, Cologne, Bremen, Bremen, Brest, Munster, Osnabruk (attacked by Me 110 and badly shot up) Amsterdam, Hamburg, Cologne, Hamburg, Mannheim, Hamm, Hanover, Duisburg (Me 110 shot down) Duisburg, Le Havre (he is now a WOP flying with Sgt. Edis crew) Karlsruhe, Duisburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Kiel, Turin (Italy) Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Stettin, Rotterdam, Emden.
So ended F/Sgt. Street's First Tour with 40 Squadron.
He is then 'screened' training at 18 OTU, Bramcote until May 1942.
Then it is the start of his Second tour with RAF 218 Squadron, operating Stirling Bombers out of RAF Marham.
Here he is crewed up to fly with skipper F/O Allen, initially as the Mid Upper gunner but then onto Wireless operator.
The crew's first 'Op' is to Borkum and its another bad start to operations for F/Sgt. Street, in them being attacked by a Me 110, but managed to evade serious damage and returned safely to base.
Further Operations then follow to - Cologne, Essen, Bremen, Emden (crash landed) Bremen (he is now part of Sgt. Elsom crew based at RAF Downham Market), Duisburg, Duisburg, Duisburg, Hamburg, Saarbrucken, Duisburg, Osnabuck, Kattegat, Fehmarn, Frankfurt (hit by Flak front & rear turrets out of action) Nurnburg, Saarbrucken, Karlsruhe, Bremen, Duisburg, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, and then his final operation of his second tour, on 16th September 1942 to Essen.
His Operational sorties are in need of research.
This will give a better picture of how hard it was for Bomber Command aircrews to survive a tour.
Promoted to Flt /Lt, it seems that he did not push his luck any further by carrying on with Operations so he went onto training units and finally finishing the war with Transport Command.
The Log book is well written with plenty of signatures and squadron rubber stamps, and with approximately 85 pages of entries.
Included are some copies of newspaper clippings relating to F/Sgt. Street, and gaining his award of the DFM plus one with a photo.
His very nice wartime officer tunic with AG brevet and medal ribbons, which is in an excellent condition.
A fine group of items to a brave airman who apart from the skill of his crew members, also had a good slice of luck on his side, to survive whilst others around him fell.
