bentley priory - Spink

September 6, 2012 - LONDON
Warrant Officer H. Dutton, outside Buckingham Palace
having received his D.F.C., 22.6.1945
D.F.C. London Gazette 14.9.1943 Warrant Officer Harry
Dutton (534538), Royal Air Force, No. 44 Squadron.
The Recommendation states: ‘This Warrant Officer has
completed two tours of operational duty involving more than
300 flying hours. During his second tour he has attacked
targets such as Bremen, Essen, and Cologne and has
encountered much intense opposition. Warrant Officer
Dutton has, at all times, displayed great keenness and
efficiency setting a fine example to the other air gunners of
the Squadron.’
534538 Warrant Officer Harry Dutton, D.F.C., born
Congleton, Cheshire, 7.7.1912; enlisted in the Royal Air
Force, 7.9.1936; served during the Second War with No. 2
(Army Co-operation) Squadron (Lysanders), and took part in
his first operational sortie in October 1939; soon after the
outbreak of the War No. 2 Squadron moved to France as part
of the British Expeditionary Force’s Air Component; the
Lysanders spotted for the Artillery and bombed front line
positions and troop concentrations- No.2 Squadron stayed in
France until the Dunkirk evacuation. Having completed his
first operational tour transferred to No. 44 (Rhodesia)
Squadron (Lancasters), Waddington, under the Command of
Wing Commander Roderick Learoyd, V.C., February 1942;
flew in at least 31 operational sorties with the Squadron, his
first action being taking part in the 1000 Bomber Raid over
Essen, 1.6.1942; others sorties including: Bordeaux; Bremen
(3), including 1000 Bomber Raid, 25.6.1942; his first
Daylight raid was again over Essen, 18.7.1942: ‘Attacked by
Me.109s. 1 E.A. claimed as probable, Sgt. Newton rear
gunner wounded, & rear turret u/s; 2nd E.A. damaged’
(recipient’s log book refers); Duisburg (3); Hamberg (3);
Saarbrucken; Dusseldorf (3); Osnabruck (2), including
17.8.1942: ‘Attacked by Me.110’; Mainz; Frankfurt (2);
Nuremberg; Cologne; St. Nazaire; he completed his tour
with operations over Berlin, 1.3.1943, and the Krupp’s
Works at Essen, 5.3.1943, and was awarded the D.F.C.; after
undergoing a Wellington conversion course, April to August,
1943, served as an Instructor with No. 1661 Conversion
Unit; returned to operational flying with No. 61 Squadron
(Lancasters), Skellingthorpe, 21.6.1944, and flew in 13
sorties, including Gelsencerchen; Culmont-Chalindrey,
12.7.1944 ‘Combat with Ju.88’; Caen (Daylight); Thiverney
(Daylight), 19.7.1944 ‘Damaged by flak’; and St. Cer, Paris
(Daylight); discharged, 13.11.1945.
Dutton’s home town of Congleton produced one Victoria
Cross recipient during the Second World War, Company
Sergeant Major G.H. Eardley, V.C., M.M., King’s Shropshire
Light Infantry. Meeting him after the War, Dutton asked him
to sign his Log Book, and his signature appears under that of
Dutton’s former C.O. and fellow V.C. recipient, Wing
Commander Roderick Learoyd, V.C.
77