Lot 47
A World War Two Bomber Command Group of 3 awarded to Pilot Officer William Patrick Hooper
Military Medals, Decorations and Orders On Land, at Sea, in the Air | E114
Auction: 7 September 2023 at 10:00 BST
Description
A World War Two Bomber Command Group of 3 awarded to Pilot Officer William Patrick Hooper, Bomb Aimer, 514 Squadron RAF who completed 13 Operational Sorties before the end of Hostilities, comprising 1939‑45 Star, France & Germany Star, 1939‑45 War Medal, all unnamed as issued, in damaged card box of issue, very fine (3).
Commissioned 8th July 1945
Log Book Entries
514 Squadron Waterbeach – Lancaster
22nd February 1945 Ops Ostefeld Coking Ovens 1 4000(lbs) 4 250 (lbs) Bombed Badly Heavy Flak (Lost 5 Crews)
26th February 1945 Ops Dortmund – Benzine Plant 1 4000 11 500 4 250 Mod Flak (Lost 3 Crews)
27th February 1945 Ops Gelsenkirchen - Benzine Plant 1 4000 11 500 4 250 Mod Flak
(Maxie Wall and Crew blew up right in front of us)
1st March 1945 Ops Kamen – Coking Plant 1 4000(lbs) , 11 500(lbs) No FLAK (H. Hower W/Op Killed – Head Blown off)
7th March 1945 Ops Wesel – Troops and Transit Concentration 1 4000 15 500
9th March 1945 Ops Datteln – Synthetic Oil 1 4000, 15 500
11th March 1945 Ops Essen – Marshalling Yard 1,000 Bomber Raid 1 4000, 15 500 1,049 aircraft
14th March 1945 Ops Hattingen – Steel Works and Benzole 1 4000 12 500 Heavy Flak -Flying Officer Flack’s aircraft Blew up in Front of us
18th of March 1945 Ops Brochstrasse – Coking Plant 1 4000 15 500 Accurate FLAK
21st March 1945 Ops Munster – Viaduct – Bombed Secondary Target 1 4000 15 500 – Clear – Heavy Flak Bombed Secondary Target Visual Nav Boobed overshot Target Plenty of Kites and chutes going down
4th April 1945 Ops Murseburg – Synthetic Oil Plant PFF Sky Markers 1 4000 60500 Mod Flak attack scattered
13th April 1945 Ops Keil – Docks, Shipyards PFF Attack 1 4000 12 500 Light FLAK, Good Concentration Red Nose to cartex Green and Red Tis Wanganui
22nd April 1945 Ops Bremen Troop Concentration 1 4000 16 500 Bad routing around Wilhelmshaven Very accurate FLAK
He then participated in Operation Manna, Exodus, repatriating overall some 96 PoWs and 20 Belgian Refugees.
The Log Book has been annotated in later years with extra memories of the Operations making fascinating reading the entries above are the wartime contemporary entries.
Sold with RAF Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book, (Covers Detached)
RAF Sight Log Book Sgt Hooper with entries in 1944
Three Bomb Aimers Brevet514 Squadron RAF Blazer Badge
Original Photograph No 4 Squadron 17 Initial Training Wing RAF September 1942
“D” Flight No 4 Squadron 17 I.T.W. RAF September 1942 Squad Photograph signed by all the men in the Photograph
514 Squadron Photograph Waterbeach 1945 – Standing on and around a Lancaster
Typed account dated 1984 of one raid
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
514 Squadron were awarded 1 DSO, 84 DFCs, one Bar to the DFC and 26 DFMs. It was part of 4 Group, RAF Bomber Command, operating between September 1943 and August 1945, initially from RAF Foulsham and then from December 1943 onwards, from RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. 437 aircrew were killed flying with the Squadron.
