Bidspirit auction | Terry Kearns DSO DFC DFM

Terry Kearns DSO DFC DFM 87 ops 617 sqn signed WW2 RAF Dambusters 50th ann Cover Rare only 65 issued. Flown by Lancaster PA474 over the Derwent Dam, numbered on the back with flight details on cachet. Special Derwent Dam Keswick 50th ann Dambusters Raid postmark. The outstanding Second World War No. 617 (Dambuster) Squadron 'Special Duties' 1944 D.S.O., 1943 'Pathfinder's' D.F.C., 1943 D.F.M. group of nine awarded to Wellington, Lancaster and Mosquito Pilot, Squadron Leader R. S. D. 'Terry' Kearns, Royal New Zealand Air Force. A veteran of at least 87 Ops, he flew 30 of them with the famous ”Dam Busters”; Kearns shared in the first 'Thousand-Bomber Raids' and became a ”Tallboy” specialist. Arguably his finest hour came when he scored a direct hit, with the ”Earthquake” Bomb, on the entrance of the Saumur Tunnel on 8 June 1944; having obliterated Leonard Cheshire's marking Flare he caused the Squadron Commander to remark ”..hold on chaps, I'll have to mark it again.” After a brief flirtation with Vampire Jets over the Malayan Jungle - in which he flew on nearly 50 'strikes' - Kearns returned to Bomber Command to take part in Operations during the Suez Crisis in November 1956. Dambusters: Completed 30 operations with No. 617 Squadron flying Mosquito FBVIs on precision low-level target marking through 1944, including raids on the Saumur rail tunnel and V-1 rocket sites. Good condition. Part of Single Vendor collection. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide.