A good 1945 D.F.C. group of five awarded to Wing Commander N. Alexander, Royal Air Force, a veteran of some 45 Ops during the Second World War, Alexander rose to the command of No. 196 & No. 7 Squadron and during that time flew Ops for the Special Operations Executive, besides twice towing Horsa Gliders into action on D-Day and also acting as a Marker Aircraft on numerous daylight raids with the Path Finder Force
Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1945'
1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaves, mounted as worn, good very fine
D.F.C. London Gazette 16 February 1945. The Recommendation, by Wing Commander D. M. Walbourn, states:
'This Officer, having completed a Tour of Operations in Bomber Command has now started his Second Tour, and he has so far completed an additional 9 Sorties, in the Path Finder Force, 3 of them in the capacity of Marker.
Wing Commander Alexander is an ideal leader of men, and by his utter disregard for personal safety has set a very high standard of discipline in his crew. He possesses coolness and displays, at all times, a very high courage which is inspirational to the whole Squadron.'
M.I.D. London Gazette 8 June 1944.
Norman Alexander qualified as a Pilot on the DH95 in May 1940. He was lucky to have slipped away from several flights around the Channel Islands, returning from Jersey to Hendon on DH89 V4724 on 24 June 1940. The Germans invaded on 1 July 1940.
Alexander went through various training units, before joining 'B' Flight, No. 196 Squadron in December 1942. Operating the Wellington Mk. X from RAF Leconfield, he was an experienced airman, for his Log Book records some 4873hrs 13mins of flying by the time of his first Operational Sortie. That first Op took him to Lorient on 4 February 1943, before another on 13 February 1943. He thence shared in the daylight raid on Emden on 17 February 1943. May 1943 was a busy month, with 5 Ops and assuming command of the Squadron from 6 May, taking the total tally to 11 Ops by their raid on Essen on 27 May. In June, their Op to Krefeld on 21 June saw him encounter an Me109 fighter - thankfully evaded - and on 28 June, they met 'Hot Reception'. He was also acting Wing Commander in this period.
After having flown on Hannover on 22 September 1943, his next Op would come on 7 May 1944. This would be detailed as a 'Special Mission', flying in Stirling IV LT846"7", on duty for the Special Operations Executive, in an attempt to supply agents in and around Mirande. Five aircraft from his Squadron took on the duty but sadly Alexander met no reception, although the other four all met with success.
As D-Day loomed, Alexander and his Squadron would be to the fore. At 2320hrs on 5 June 1944, he left towing a Horsa glider with 20 paratroopers to be taken into 'DZ.N.' at Caen. This mission was a success and he was called upon on 6 June to fly another Horsa - Piloted by Lieutenant Steadman - into 'DZ.W.' at Ouistreham, that was noted as 'Very Successful'. He backed that up by dropping containers for the troops at the same place on 23 June.
Alexander then completed his 20th Op on 27 July 1944, finishing his first Tour, with another mission for the S.O.E., this time to drop containers over Limoges to support their efforts in that region. Tour expired and due his leave, Alexander went straight back round again, being posted to No. 7 Squadron at Oakington in September 1944. He flew 8 Ops in October 1944, including as a Marker Aircraft in the daylight raid on Essen on 25 October 1944. The remainder of his Ops saw Alexander either as a Marker Aircraft, Marker Aircraft (P.V.M.), Controller of Wild Bombing or Deputy Master Bomber. He gained skills on 11 daylight Ops, the last coming on Bremen on 22 April 1945. Alexander flew his last Wartime Op on Rotterdam on 1 May 1945, dropping supplies. That took his tally to some 45 Ops over two Tours. He gained his Path Finder Force Badge on 21 May 1945, having earned the D.F.C. and a 'mention' for his laurels. His Flying Log Books total 5225hrs 38mins, of which 988hrs 20 mins were recorded during the Second World War. Alexander retired as a Wing Commander on 4 May 1954; sold together with his Pilot's Flying Log Book (Form 414), covering all his Ops, D.F.C. award document, M.I.D. Certificate and forwarding slip for his Campaign Awards, Path Finder Force Badge Certificate, besides a good selection of his bombing photographs (including a fine shot of his 'bombs away' over Cologne), an image of the D-Day Drop Zone and other bombing notes.
Product Code: EM4017
