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A fine Second World War path finder’s D.F.M. group of six awarded to Pilot Officer F. T. Williams, Royal Air Force, a veteran of 37 operational sorties in Halifaxes of No. 35 Squadron and Lancasters of No. 97 Squadron, who baled out and evaded capture after his aircraft was hit by flak on returning from a raid on Berlin in November 1943 Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1386305 F./Sgt. F. T. Williams, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, generally very fine (12) £1700-1900 Footnote D.F.M. London Gazette 10 December 1943. Frederick Thomas Williams a native of New Malden, Surrey, was born in July 1913 and was employed as a Civil Service Clerk prior to his enlistment in the R.A.F. in March 1941. Having then attended training establishments in Florida, U.S.A., he returned to the U.K. in the summer of 1942 and was posted - as a Bomb Aimer - to No. 35 Squadron (P.F.F.), a Halifax unit, in January 1943. In the following month he completed his first operational sorties, including strikes against Bremen, Cologne and Wilhelmshaven, while in March his targets included Berlin. In April, as detailed in the Squadron’s O.R.B., his aircraft was twice damaged by flak, namely as a member of Flight Lieutenant Malkin’s crew on the night of the 1st-2nd, when their Halifax was ‘hit by heavy accurate flak’ over Munster and two members of crew wounded; and as a member of Flight Lieutenant Cranswick’s crew on the night of 20th-21st, when detailed to attack Stettin: ‘Aircraft hit by flak at Kiel 02.20 hrs., 15,000 feet and at Sylt 02.40 hrs., 11,000 feet. 10-15 holes in aircraft.’ In June 1943, Williams transferred to No. 97 Squadron, another Path Finder Force unit, and completed his first sortie in one of the Squadron’s Lancasters on the night of the 21st, a strike on Krefeld. Further heavily defended targets were attacked in July, including two trips to Cologne and one to Hamburg on the opening night of the ‘firestorm’ raids; August, likewise, when, among other targets, he was assigned to Berlin and Nuremberg on two occasions. By the end of September, after another trip to the “Big City” and such targets as Darmstadt and Oldenburg, Williams had raised his tally of sorties to the 30-mark; by the end of October, about which time he must have been recommended for his D.F.M., that tally had risen to 34, Frankfurt and Munich being among his latest assignments. However, on the night of 18-19 November - on yet another trip to the “Big City” - his Lancaster (S Sugar JB367), piloted by Flight Sergeant A. A. Johnson R.N.Z.A.F., was downed by flak on returning from the target; Johnson - at the cost of his life - remained at his controls, allowing his crew to take to their parachutes over Belgium. Alan Cooper’s Bombers over Berlin takes up the story: ‘Flight Sergeant Johnson of 97 Squadron was killed when his aircraft crashed in Belgium. Two of his crew baled out, however, and were taken prisoner, while the other four who baled out all evaded capture and reached England in March 1944. They had taken off from their base at Bourne at 5.30 p.m., and their H2S set seemed in order but after crossing the English coast the navigator decided it had gone U/S. He left his seat to see if, when it had warmed up a bit, the set would be working but it did not. At the same time, the bomb aimer reported one of the front guns was out of action. The omens began to increase when over Hanover, the mid-upper reported that his turret had gone U/S, so Johnson ordered him to the front turret. The bomb aimer was throwing out Window from the nose and Johnson ordered the WOP into the astrodome to look out for fighters. The navigator set a straight course for Berlin and on arrival they dropped their bombs, not on the TIs, but on salvo, making use of the red markers. The navigator then worked out the wind speed and direction and they set off on the return route. Near Aachen they w