A VERY FINE SPITFIRE PILOT’S IMMEDIATE D.F.C. GROUP OF SIX AWARDED TO ROYAL AIR FORCE FLIGHT LIEUTENANT WHO SERVED WITH 601 (MILLIONAIRES) SQUADRON AND LATER 241 SQUADRONS IN ITALY, 1944-5, FLYING OPERATIONS OVER THE CASSINO FRONT IN MAY 1944 AND CRASH LANDING AFTER BEING HIT BY FLAK. DURING THE REST OF HIS OPERATIONAL SERVICE, HE TOOK PART IN 146 SORTIES; A LARGE NUMBER GROUND ATTACK, BOMBER ESCORT, ARMED RECONNAISSANCE, ROVERS ETC ETC, CLAIMING MANY TARGETS AND ENEMY VEHICLES. DURING HIS FINAL SORTIE, FOR WHICH HE WAS AWARDED THE D.F.C., HIS SPITFIRE WAS TWICE HIT DURING STAFFING ATTACKS ON A CONVOY BUT HE CONTINUED TO ATTACK UNTIL ‘ONE ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLE AND THREE M.T. WERE LEFT BLAZING AND THE REMAINDER OF THE CONVOY, COMPRISING FOUR M.T. AND 2 GUNS, HAD BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED.’ POST WAR HE FLEW METEOR AND VAMPIRE JETS.

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, G.VI.R., THE REVERSE OFFICIALLY DATED 1945; 1939-45 STAR, ITALY STAR; DEFENCE & WAR MEDALS, CORONATION 1953, MOUNTED AS WORN. TOGETHER WITH HIS VERY DETAILED AND COMPREHENSIVELY ANNOTATED PILOT’S FLYING LOG BOOK FOR THE PERIOD FEBRUARY 1943 TO AUGUST 1951

D.F.C. London Gazette 29 June 1945:

‘This officer has participated in a large number of varied sorties. He has set a fine example of skill and courage and has invariably pressed home his attacks with accuracy and determination. On his last sortie in April, 1945, Flight Lieutenant Russell took part in an armed reconnaissance. When nearing Padova a convoy of enemy vehicles was sighted. In the face of considerable light anti-aircraft fire a good attack was pressed home. In the first run over the target, Flight Lieutenant Russell’s aircraft was hit. Despite this, he made several more runs over the target. He afterwards flew back to an airfield where he executed a perfect landing although one of the wheels was punctured.’

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (86703) RICHARD GERALD CRUICKSHANKS RUSSELL

Flight Lieutenant Richard Gerald Cruickshanks Russell joined the R.A.F.V.R. in 1939 and underwent pilot training in the U.K. before proceeding to South Africa in 1941. He served as an instructor at No. 27 Air School in 1943, and, having converted to Spitfires at 71 O.T.U., Ishmalia, joined No. 601 (County of London) Squadron, also known as the ‘Millionaires’ on 8 May 1944, flying sorties in support of the Allied offensive on Monte Cassino and would continue serving on the Italian front for his entire operational service……………

SEE PDF FOR FULL WRITEUP

THE LOGBOOK

Russell’s logbook is extremely well detailed, indeed Russell seems to have squeezed as much info as possible into details of flights; mentions where his targets were and then details of targets, if there was flak, hits on targets, enemy aircraft etc. This continues throughout his logbook for operational sorties and may be the reason he stuck with the S.A.A.F. logbook rather than switching back to an R.A.F. one, ie they are bigger logbooks and more info can be crammed in!

Logbook starts on 1 February 1943, which was when he was serving as an instructor in South Africa and is fully filled bar a couple of pages, his last flight being in 1951. His first R.A.F logbook, consisting training and his first 6 months as an instructor, was presumably fully filled. Spine of lookbook is a bit loosed as are a couple of pages but all is complete. It really is one of the most fully filled logbooks I’ve had details wise.

Condition GVF. Sold with copied of D.F.C. recommendation and digital copies of Operational logs for 601 and 241 Squadrons for Russell’s service. Ex DNW Sept 2000.

A very fine Spitfire pilots gallantry group.