Beschreibung:

A group of five miniature dress medals attributed to Flight Lieutenant J.A. Cant, M.B.E., Royal Air Force, who was shot down over Holland and taken prisoner of war, subsequently participating in the creation of 9 escape tunnels with Wing Commander 'Hetty' Hyde at Warburg, after which he was interned at Stalag Luft III at Sagan a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Military Division, Member´s (M.B.E.) breast Badge, silver b) 1939-1945 Star c) Air Crew Europe Star d) War Medal e) Royal Air Force Long Service & G.C., G.VI.R., good very fine, with research and copied photographs (Quantity: 5) Provenance: Q&C Militaria, Cheltenham. M.B.E. London Gazette: 1 January 1958 John Arthur Cant (1912-1996) was a native of Weston-Super-Mare. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1928 and was commissioned Pilot Officer in May 1940. He served during WWII as a pilot with 78 Squadron (Whitleys). He was flying Whitley V Z6823 on an operational sortie to Cologne on 16/17 August 1941, when his plane crashed over Holland. The aircraft crashed at Velddriel (Gelderland). Of the five crew, two were killed and three (including Cant) were taken prisoner of war. Cant was interrogated at Amsterdam before being transferred to Dulag Luft, Frankfurt, where he was once again interrogated before being imprisoned in the following camps, Oflag (X) C, Lubeck, 24 August 1941-9 October 1941, Oflag VI B, Warburg, 10 October 1941-2 September 1942, Oflag XXI B, Schubin, 3 September 1942-18 April 1943, Stalag Luft III, Sagan, 18 April 1943-28 January 1945 and Marlag Nord, Tarmstedt, 5 February 1945-10 April 1945. His P.O.W. debrief gives the following under escapes attempted, '9 tunnels with W/CMR Hyde in charge at Warburg. 1 successful and 6 officers escaped but were recaptured'; Cant was commissioned Flight Lieutenant on 1 September 1945 and retired on 17 November 1959. The recipient's full-size medals were sold at Spink on 25 June 2008, lot 282.