Rare medals of Lancaster bomber pilot, Edward Sydney Ellis who braved nine flights to the ‘Big City’ during the ‘Battle of Berlin,’ up for auction

Noonans - A rare Second World War group of medals awarded to Lancaster Bomber pilot, Warrant Officer, later Flight Lieutenant, Edward Sydney Ellis of 625 Squadron of the Royal Air ForceVolunteer Reserve after flying at least 36 operational sorties - 9 of which were to Berlin and back during the “Battle of Berlin” will be included in the forthcoming sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria at Noonans Mayfair on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. This is one of only 7 known combinations of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying) that were awarded and is estimated to fetch between £24,000-28,000. The medals are being sold by the family.

The group of six also includes his Conspicuous Gallantry Medal that was awarded after a raid on Berlin on December 2 and 3, 1943, when despite taking a new crew on their first raid; being hit by anti-aircraft fire which put his rear gunner out of action; also being attacked by an enemy fighter when his Lancaster was raked ‘from stem to stern’ and his mid upper gunner wounded – Ellis showed his press-on regardless attitude that he continued his bombing run and then flew his wrecked aircraft home to effect a successful crash landing, after having been hit again by Flak just before crossing the Dutch coast!

Edward Sydney Ellis was born in Luton in May 1914, studied at the British Institute of Engineering Technology, London and was employed by Vauxhall Motors. Ellis attested for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in October 1940. He was mobilised in April 1941 and carried out initial training in the UK prior to be posted for pilot training in the United States of America in March 1942. Ellis had postings to Turner Field, Georgia and Gunter Field, Alabama throughout 1942, returning to the UK at the end of the year. He carried out further training in Carlisle and Little Rissington, prior to being posted to Seighford, Staffordshire in May 1943.

He was then posted for operational flying as a pilot to 12 Squadron (Lancasters) at Wickenby in September 1943 and flew in at least 9 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Hanover (3); Mannheim; Bochum; Hagen; Munich; Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Ellis, having advanced to Warrant Officer, was posted to the newly formed 625 Squadron (Lancasters) at Kelstern in October 1943. He flew in at least 19 operational sorties with the Squadron, including: Leipzig (2); Kassel; Modane; Berlin (9 - all during the Battle of Berlin, including the first raid of the Battle on 18/19 November); Stettin; Brunswick; Magdeburg; Schwinefurt; Augsburg and Stuttgart.

The medals will be sold with a large collection of contemporary and related items and documents including a 9ct. gold R.A.F. Sweetheart Brooch.

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NOONANS — In 1991, its first year of trading, the company held three medal auctions and sold 1,200 lots for a total hammer price of £553,000, however 30 years later, Noonans is established as the premier medal auctioneer worldwide. Two years later, in 1993, it opened a coin department which also auctions commemorative medals and tokens. In 2015 Noonans (then Dix Noonan Webb) added jewelry to its sales calendar as well as setting up a stand alone banknotes department and expanding into premises next door.