orders, decorations, campaign medals and militaria - Spink

orders, deCoratioNs, CampaigN medaLs aNd miLitaria
Flight Sergeant N.A. Lacey-Johnston
66
A Poignant Group of Three to Flight Sergeant N.A. Lacey-Johnston, Royal Air Force, Killed in Action
In the Raid on Mailly-le-Camp, 4.5.1944, His First and Only Operational Sortie of the War
1939-1945 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal, extremely fine, with the following related items:
- Air Council enclosure, named to ‘F/Sgt. N.A. Lacey Johnson’
- The recipient’s Royal Air Force Navigator’s brevet
- Mailly-le-Camp 50th Anniversary of the Bombardment by the Royal Air Force commemorative medallion
1994
- One of the Many, an Account of the events leading to the death of F/Sgt. N.A. Lacey-Johnson, by
Lieutenant-Colonel L. Lacey-Johnson, the recipient’s brother
- A comprehensive file of research, including many letters from the recipient’s brother (lot)
£200-300
1576434 Flight Sergeant Nigel Arthur Lacey-Johnson, born Birmingham; enlisted in the Royal Air Force, 8.7.1941;
advanced Sergeant Navigator, 13.2.1943; promoted Flight Sergeant, 13.2.1944; after three years of training posted to
No.101 Squadron (Lancasters), Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire, 12.4.1944; his first and only operational sortie of the War
with the Squadron was the raid on Mailly-le-Camp, 3.5.1944
Raid on Mailly-le-Camp
The decision to bomb Mailly was part of the change in bombing strategy in the early part of 1944, when preparations for
Operation Overlord required that every effort should be made to minimise the German capabilities for reinforcement of
the forthcoming invasion area. The target for the raid was a German military depot housing the major part of the 21st
Panzer Division. A force of 495 Lancasters, including 20 from No.101 Squadron took part in the raid. Lacey-Johnson’s
crew took off from Ludford Magna at approximately 22:00 hours on the 3rd May 1944 and crossed the French coast at
Dieppe. German night fighters soon appeared once the coast was crossed, attacking them nearly all the way to the target
area. The target was successfully marked by low level pathfinder Mosquitos backed up by Lancaster marker aircraft under
the command of Marker Leader Wing Commander G.L. Cheshire. The main attack commenced just after midnight, with
No.101 Squadron in the second wave at about 00:30 hours on the 4th May. In all approximately 1,500 tons of bombs
were dropped from heights of around 8,000 feet with great accuracy. 114 barrack buildings, 47 transport sheds, and some
ammunition buildings were hit, 102 vehicles, including 37 tanks were destroyed, and 218 German soldiers, mostly Panzer
N.C.O.s, were killed and 156 wounded. But a delay in starting the attack had brought most of the German night fighters
to the area, and the highest casualties occurred during and shortly after the attack when the bombers were on their way
home. Lacey-Johnson’s aircraft fell victim to a German night fighter, and was shot down over the town of Voué. The future
Mayor of Voué described the air battle as terrible, ‘with aircraft exploding in the air and falling in pieces over a large area.’
His account of Lacey-Johnson’s aircraft was that ‘it was in flames and exploded at 1,500 feet. The remains of the crew were
collected by the French and buried secretly by the Catholic Priest of Voué.’ (One of the Many refers).
Lacey-Johnson was buried with his crew in Voué churchyard; in 1991, to mark the 47th Anniversary of the raid, the French
authorities erected a permanent memorial to honour those crews, some 42 in all, that were lost in the attack. The unveiling
ceremony was attended by amongst others Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, V.C., O.M., D.S.O., D.F.C., and
Lieutenant-Colonel Lionel Lacey-Johnson, the brother of Flight Sergeant Nigel Lacey-Johnson.
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