Father receives son’s D.F.M. King's award to missing airman

Father receives son’s D.F.M. King's award to missing airman

S Belton received a Distinguished Flying Medal for his son Sergeant Spencer Lewis Belton. He was educated at Southend High School, worked in a bank and on his father’s farm.

1941-06

One newspaper cutting

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.

NBeltonSLS151120-02

FATHER RECEIVES SON'S D.F.M. KING'S AWARD TO MISSING AIRMAN. Among the parents who went to Buckingham Palace recently to receive their sons' awards from the King was Mr. S. Belton, farmer, of Foulness. Sergt.-Observer Spencer Lewis Smith Belton, R.A.F., was honoured with the Distinguished Flying Medal for gallantry in action against the enemy last summer, but he did not return from his next operation, and last month he was officially posted as missing, believed killed. Sergt. Belton, who was 21 years of age, was navigator and bomb aimer in an aircraft which was badly hit by a high-explosive shell during an attack on enemy ships at Wilhelmshaven in July, 1940. He continued his duties with great coolness and courage' after his cabin had been riddled with holes, and enabled the pilot-officer ( who received the D.F.C.) to bring the aircraft home. Subsequently, both airmen made a recording of their exploit for the " Air Log " broadcast. Educated at Southend High School for Boys where he was a prefect and passed the General Schools and Matriculation examinations, Sergt. Belton was employed for a time at a bank at Leigh. Later he went to work on his father's farm and joined the Air Force two months before the outbreak of war.
Sergt.-Observer S. L.
S. BELTON. RA.F.