Newspaper account of Derrick Allen's heroic actions leading to award of Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, congratulatory wedding telegrams and banknote
Title
Newspaper account of Derrick Allen's heroic actions leading to award of Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, congratulatory wedding telegrams and banknote
Description
On the left a newspaper cutting with an account of how Derrick Allen freed the rear gunner from his jammed turret while his Lancaster was going down. On the right top and bottom, congratulatory wedding telegrams wishing future happiness. Between the telegrams a Belgian 20 Franc banknote.
Language
Format
Newspaper cutting mounted on an album page
Two telegrams mounted on an album page
One banknote mounted on an album page
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SAllenDJ1880966v10006
Transcription
[Post Office crest]
POST OFFICE TELEGRAM
[Post Mark]
9.40 Huntingdon 16
Mr & Mrs Allen
Ermin Lodge Stilton Peterborough
Best Wishes for your future Happiness.
Mon and Mary
[Bank Note]
[Post Office crest]
POST OFFICE TELEGRAM
[Post Mark]
12.40 Yardley 20
Mr & Mrs Allen
Ermin Lodge Stilton
Wishing you Happiness and best of luck.
Mr & Mrs Dale & Pamela
Saved Trapped Gunner
Heroism in Blazing Bomber
An R.A.F.V.R. sergeant who freed a comrade trapped in the rear gunner’s turret while their blazing aircraft was falling rapidly, and jumped to safety just as the plane broke in toe, has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.
He is Sergt, Derrick John Allen, whose home is near Peterborough.
Allen was the mid-upper gunner in an aircraft detailed to attack Dusseldorf. The plane was struck by a burst of machine-gun fire from an enemy aircraft and one of the engines caught fire.
The crew struggled to put out the flames, but the plane lost height and dived out of control. As the position had become hopeless, the captain ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft.
The rear gunner was unable to open his turret doors and Allen ignoring the danger, hacked away at the turret doors with an axe and freed the gunner. Just as Allen got ready to jump the plane broke in two, but he managed to make a safe descent.
POST OFFICE TELEGRAM
[Post Mark]
9.40 Huntingdon 16
Mr & Mrs Allen
Ermin Lodge Stilton Peterborough
Best Wishes for your future Happiness.
Mon and Mary
[Bank Note]
[Post Office crest]
POST OFFICE TELEGRAM
[Post Mark]
12.40 Yardley 20
Mr & Mrs Allen
Ermin Lodge Stilton
Wishing you Happiness and best of luck.
Mr & Mrs Dale & Pamela
Saved Trapped Gunner
Heroism in Blazing Bomber
An R.A.F.V.R. sergeant who freed a comrade trapped in the rear gunner’s turret while their blazing aircraft was falling rapidly, and jumped to safety just as the plane broke in toe, has been awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.
He is Sergt, Derrick John Allen, whose home is near Peterborough.
Allen was the mid-upper gunner in an aircraft detailed to attack Dusseldorf. The plane was struck by a burst of machine-gun fire from an enemy aircraft and one of the engines caught fire.
The crew struggled to put out the flames, but the plane lost height and dived out of control. As the position had become hopeless, the captain ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft.
The rear gunner was unable to open his turret doors and Allen ignoring the danger, hacked away at the turret doors with an axe and freed the gunner. Just as Allen got ready to jump the plane broke in two, but he managed to make a safe descent.
Collection
Citation
“Newspaper account of Derrick Allen's heroic actions leading to award of Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, congratulatory wedding telegrams and banknote,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed February 7, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/2352.
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