Another set of medals sold at yesterday's DNW auction for £200,000 (before fees). From the description:
Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1940’, and additionally engraved ‘F/O. P. L. Parrott. September’; with Second Award Bar, reverse officially dated ‘1945’; Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1952’; 1939-45 Star, 1 clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Cyprus (Wg. Cdr. P. L. Parrott. R.A.F.); Mauritania, Order of Merit, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in A. Bertrand, Paris case of issue
A fine Battle of France and Battle of Britain Fighter Ace’s 1940 D.F.C. and 1945 Second Award Bar, ‘Test Pilot’s’ A.F.C. group of eight awarded to Hurricane and Spitfire pilot, Wing Commander P. L. Parrott, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who nearly achieved ‘Ace’ in a day status during his first aerial combats, 10 May 1940.
Aged just 19, Parrott went on to fly with 607 (County of Durham) Squadron during the Battle of France, and with 145 Squadron over the beaches of Dunkirk. He was shot up whilst in combat with a He. III over Dunkirk, 26 May 1940, managing to limp home across the Channel and crash land in a field on the south coast.
Parrott went on to distinguish himself during the Battle of Britain whilst operating out of the Tangmere Sector, the high point of which being when he shot down 2 enemy aircraft, 8 August 1940, ‘our first view of the convoy near St. Catherine’s Point was of Ju 87’s in their bombing dives. Above the Ju. 87’s were the escorting Bf 109’s and farther to the south-east were two more large formations of enemy aircraft approaching the convoy - a formidable sight. I had already taken part in the Battle for France, and patrolled over Dunkirk during the evacuation, but I had never before seen so many aircraft in the sky at once.’
A remarkable year continued when Parrott’s photograph, taken during the Battle of France, was used for a recruiting poster - thus providing one of the iconic Royal Air Force images of the Second World War, and literally making him the poster boy of the R.A.F. This only being ‘topped’ by Parrott being shot down, whilst serving as a ‘Weaver’ with 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron, 1 December 1940:
‘Looking down, the ground seemed to be coming up remarkably quickly. I was swinging from side to side but had no time to try pulling the shrouds to stop the swing before I slammed into the ground, on about the third downward swing, falling on my right leg and shoulder. I felt half stunned.... I opened my eyes and found I was lying on the grass.... I was at this time not sure whether I was still in this world or had already passed on to the next. I did not really care much either way....’
Parrott flew Spitfires over Sicily and Italy, and commanded 43 and 72 (Basutoland) Squadrons. After the war he was employed as a test pilot, and flew early Vampire and Meteor jets, and in retirement he even managed to have brushes with Colonel Gaddafi and Idi Amin.
https://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archiv...lot_uid=413377