The fine Second World War D.F.C. group of four medals to Flying Officer Walter Barfod, R.A.F.:

The fine Second World War D.F.C. group of four medals to Flying Officer Walter Barfod, R.A.F.: Distinguished Flying Cross, George VI, reverse officially dated 1942, in case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, all extremely fine or nearly so, [4]; together with official correspondence addressed to the recipient's widow concerning his death in action and the award of his D.F.C.

Noonans, lot 1261, 04/12/2008

Walter Barfod was born in Hessel, near Hull in Yorkshire, on the 12th of July 1913. He enlisted in the R.A.F. on the 10th of September 1935, and opted to extend his service to nine years in August 1939. On the 31st of December 1941 he attained the rank of Flight Sergeant. He was commissioned Pilot Officer on the 29th of April 1942 and Flying Officer on the 30th of October, and on the 4th of November - three days before his death in action - he was recommended for the Immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The recommendation cites numerous raids as an Observer (Navigator & Bomb Aimer) in Douglas Bostons with 107 Squadron R.A.F. and at the time that it was submitted he had completed 16 sorties and had 41 hours and 40 minutes of operational flying. These missions included an attack on Leeuwarden airfield (part of a 1,000 bomber raid) on the night of the 25th and 26th of June 1942, on which occasion his aircraft was the only one of its group of three to hit the target. He played a key role in attacks on the powerhouses at Comines and Pont-a-Verdin on the the 22nd of September and the 31st of October respectively - one of the few navigators to get his pilot there and bomb successfully. The recommendation praises him as "a very fine example to the other observers in the Squadron" and continues "his operational record is of a very high order."

On the 7th of November 1942 Flying Officer Barfod's aircraft was engaged in a low-level attack on a target in enemy-occupied territory. According to a letter written to his widow by his commanding officer Wing Commander R.H. Dutton it was "hit just as it was reaching the target and crashed almost immediately". His D.F.C. was presented to his widow at Buckingham Palace on the 8th of June 1943.