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THE BENTLEY PRIORY BATTLE OF BRITAIN TRUST APPEAL CHARITY AUCTION D.F.M. London Gazette 23.12.1941 971254 Sergeant Vernon Richardson Marsh No. 105 Squadron. The Recommendation, dated 26.7.1941 states: ‘Sergeant Marsh has flown on some highly successful raids. Besides taking part in the daylight raid on Bremen on 4th July, 1941, when his aeroplane was considerably damaged by flak and in the daylight raid on the docks at Rotterdam where his crew obtained direct hits on a ship of 8,000 tons in the stocks, Sergeant Marsh has participated in attacks on four ships totalling 14,000 tons as follows: 16.5.1941 - M.V. of 2,500 tons off Norway. Two hits forward; 2.6.1941 - Collier of 1500 tons in Kiel Canal. Results unobserved; 7.7.1941 - M.V. of 4,000 tons in convoy off Ijmuiden. Three bombs believed hit; 19.7.1941 - M.V. of 6,000 tons in convoy off The Hague. Two hits amidships. During both the attacks on convoys, his aeroplane came under heavy fire. Throughout these operations, Sergeant Marsh has displayed great courage and coolness under fire, using his twin guns with good effect against the enemy and also obtaining some excellent photographs. His devotion to duty and marked display of the offensive spirit have been a most valuable asset to his squadron.’ Sergeant Vernon Richardson Marsh, D.F.M. (1920-90), born in Wigan; flew with 105 Squadron (Blenheims), Swanton Morley, Norfolk, 1941, in operations including: the Bomber raid led by Wing Commander Hughie Edwards over Bremen Port, 4.7.1941, ‘12 aircraft carried out a determined low-level raid on Bremen despite the lack of any cloud cover: 4 of them were shot down. For his leadership on this raid, Wing Commander Hughie Edwards, the Australian Commander of 105 Squadron, was awarded the Victoria Cross (The Bomber Command War Diaries, refer). This raid was undertaken at a height of little more than 50 feet at times, against one of the most heavily defended towns in Germany. Passing under high tension cables and carrying away telegraph wires, the Blenheims pressed on. All of the twelve aircraft were hit, and despite losing a third of their number, the remaining aircraft successfully carried home the attack. On 7.7.1941 Marsh was once again in a select group, as eleven aircraft attacked a convoy between Hague and Ijmuiden, ‘The convoy consisted of eight Merchant Vessels of 2000 to 4000 tons, escorted by four Flak ships and one “E” Boat. Two hits were registered on one 4000 tons Merchant Vessel and another 4000 tons Merchant Vessel received three direct hits, burst into flames and sank. One 2000/3000 ton Merchant Vessel was hit, causing an explosion and clouds of black and then white smoke amidships’ (Operations Records refers). The vessel that sank, received three direct hits from Marsh’s Blenhiem IV 6373, piloted by Pilot Officer Broadley. Nine days later Marsh took part, with a force of 36 Blenheims, in a low-level attack on shipping in the Rotterdam docks. Broadley and his crew, once again achieved direct hits, with Dutch reports giving twenty-two ships damaged as a result of this raid. Four Blenheims were shot down by intense flak. On the 25th July 1941 Marsh moved with a Detachment of 105 Squadron to Luqa, Malta (Blenheims), for targets in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Seven days after the move, three crews were detailed to attack Merchant Vessels in Lampedusa Harbour. Flight Lieutenant Broadley, with Marsh as his Air Gunner, led the attack, ‘although hit by A.A. in the starboard engine, he managed to drop his bombs on either two Merchant Vessels at which he was aiming or a Destroyer which was close to them for there was a cloud of smoke and ship’s debris was thrown into the air following the explosion of the hit, and Sergeant Bendall’s 500 lbs bombs. His aircraft was seen to fly away from the port under control but losing height very rapidly. It eventually dived nose first into the sea half a mile from the shore South East of the island. The crew got out of the aircraft and swam around with Mae Wests inflated for an hour before being picked up by an Italian rescue boat. All the crew of Blenheim IV Z9605, Flight Lieutenant Broadley, Pilot Officer A.S. Ramsay and Sergeant Marsh received wounds in the crash, Ramsay’s proving to be mortal. Marsh reported Ramsay’s last words to be, ‘I’m going, fellows. Cheerio and Good luck.’ (Letter from the Chairman of the Red Cross Society to Ramsay’s Mother, refers). The remaining two crew members were taken to hospital to have their wounds attended; three days later Marsh was released from hospital to be interned in an Italian prisoner of war camp, eventually being transferred to Germany where he spent the remainder of the war. Ramsay was awarded a posthumous D.F.C. PROVENANCE:
This lot has been donated in its entirety from the Collection of Lord Ashcroft, K.C.M.G.
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