Companion of the Distinguished Service Order DSO, Part 3, J to L,
Instituted in 1886 for
“Acts of gallantry by military officers for which a
Victoria Cross was not considered appropriate”.
During 1914 to 1916 some were awarded in conditions
that could not be considered under fire.
Many were awarded to Squadron Commanders for a long
period of leadership, but in some cases, it was awarded to
a Junior Officer for one operation.
Prior to 1943, the award could only be awarded to someone
who had been Mentioned in Dispatches”.
In 1942 the regulations were amended to allow the award
to be made to Officers of the Merchant Navy for gallantry
in the presence of the enemy.
Total issued up to 1983
1291 plus 113 First Bars and 18 Second Bars
Over 300 DSO’s were awarded to New Zealanders
during both World Wars.
Description
The Cross is of gold, enamelled white, with gold edges.
Having on one side, in the centre,
within a wreath of Laurel enamelled green,
The Imperial Crown in Gold.
On the Reverse, within a similar wreath,
and upon a similar ground,
The Royal Cypher.
It hangs from its ribbon by a gold clasp
ornamented with Laurel.
While a similar clasp is worn at the top
of the ribbon.
The ribbon is 32mm wide
Membership is only open to commissioned officers
or their equivalents
F/L, G E Jameson,
DSO, DFC, & Bar,
20 November 1921 to
Joined RNZAF on January 1941
Posted to 125 Squadron, flying Beaufighters in
a night fighter role.
In July 1942 when intercepting enemy bombers
approaching the Midlands from the Irish Sea, while
over Cardigan Bay, he sighted a Heinkel Bomber.
Return fire from the bomber damaged his aircraft but
he managed to keep it in sight, aided by a full moon.
As he closed in, firing, he noticed a large glow in the Starboard
Engine and the enemy aircraft went into a dive ending
in the sea.
A few nights later, near Milford Sound he destroyed
another Heinkel
DSO on 22 September 1944 on 488 [NZ] Squadron
A W/C, P G Jameson 37813
CB, DSO,DSO, DFC, & Bar
10th November 1912 to 1 October 1996
Joined the RAF in January 1937 and was posted to
No 46 Squadron on completion of his flying training.
At the outbreak of war, he was a Flight Commander on
46 Squadron, flying Hurricanes.
From April 1940 he took part in the Norwegian Campaign
and destroyed a Ju 88 and shared 2 x Do 26 flying boats.
On 7th June the Squadron evacuated Norway and landed
their Hurricanes on the deck of HMS Glorious, the first
time a Hurricane had landed on an Aircraft Carrier.
The Carrier and 2 Escort Destroyers HMS Ardent
and Acasta were sunk when intercepted by the German
Battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8th June 1941.
Of the 1,474 men aboard the three ships, only 45 survived
their immersion in the freezing temperatures.
After recovering at Gleneagles Hospital in Scotland he was
Posted as CO of No 266 Squadron in September, as part of
Bader’s Big Wing.
In June 1941 he was posted as Wing Leader of the Wittering
Wing, and became CO Wittering in October 1941.
In August 1942 he led the Wittering Wing over Dieppe.
Posted to North Weald in December 1942 to command 331
and 332 Squadrons.
A period on the Staff of No 11 Group Operational Planning
followed.
Promoted to W/C on 14th January 1944.
In July 1944 he was posted as CO of No 122 Mustang Wing
and ended the war with 9 Destroyed, 1 Probable and
another Shared, 2 Damaged and 2 Destroyed on water.
In September he was posted as OC Schieswigland and
Later OC Wundsdorf.
He retired in 1960
A F/L, DFC in July 1940, for his actions in Norway
A W/C Bar to DFC October 1941 for leadership and
destroying 6 enemy aircraft
A W/C DSO 9 Mar 1943 for leading 21 sorties during
which 13 enemy aircraft have been destroyed,
Destroyed 9 enemy aircraft, 2 of them at night.
MID January 1946
W/C CB in 1959
G/C, G T Jarman 29211
DSO, DFC, MID [3]
20th February 1906 to June 1983
Joined the RAF on 29th December 1930 and was
posted to No 19 Squadron on 29th December 1931,
flying Bulldogs at Duxford, as a P/O
Promoted to F/O on 29th June 1932.
Posted to No 47 Squadron on 1st October 1932,
flying Gordons at Khartoum.
Attended an Instructor’s Course at CFS on 16th
December 1935 and was posted to No 3 Flying
Training School as a Qualified Flying Instructor at
Brize Norton.
Promoted to F/L on 1st April 1936, and
to S/L on 1st November 1938.
Posted as Deputy OC, RAF Bassingbourn on
5th December 1938.
Posted as CO No 77 Squadron on 14 August
1940, flying Whitley’s at Driffield.
Promoted as Temp W/C on 1st March 1941
Posted as CO RAF Wyton on 19th April 1943
Promoted to Acting Air Commodore 23rd June 1943
Deputy AOC, No 229 Group on 23rd April 1945.
Substantive Temp G/C on 3rd December 1946.
Substantive G/C on 1st July 1947.
Inspector of Recruiting, HQ Reserve Command
on 1st April 1949.
Posted as Commandant Central Flying School in 1950
Retired on 26th May 1953
S/L DSO 2 Sep 41 on No 76 Squadron
in July 1941, large-scale attacks were made on
German warships at Brest and La Pallice,
These included the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, and
Prinz Eugen.
These attacks were carried out in daylight and
suffered heavy anti-aircraft fire and fighter
Opposition.
The bombers secured direct hits on the targets and
destroyed 21 of the attacking fighters.
The success of the operation was largely due to the
leadership of W/C R A C CARTER [26257]
No 150 Squadron and
W/C G T JARMAN
F/L, R S D Kearns, NZ 405572 [RAF 501043]
DSO, DCF, DFM
21 March 1920 to October 1995
Joined RNZAF in December 1940, trained at
1 EFTS Taieri and 1 FTS Wigram, got his “Wings” on
26th July 1941.
Arrived in England in November 1941, posted to a refresher
Course at 1 AFU Cranwell.
Formed a crew with Navigator: W J [Hone] Barclay, Wireless
Operator: M W [Maurie] Egerton and two gunners A J [Jack]
Moller and H E A [Buck] Price, this crew were to carry out two
tours of operations together.
While at No 23 Operational Training Unit, the crew flew the
first 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne and the 1,000 bomber raid
in Essen on the 1st June 1942.
Posted to No 75 [NZ] Squadron at Feltwell, Norfolk, flying
Wellingtons, they carried out 25 operations from 17 June 1942
To September 1942.
Transfered to No 156 [Pathfinder Force] Squadron at Warboys
flying Wellingtons and later Lancasters.
Pathfinder Force had been formed in August 1942 and No 156
Squadron was one of the four Squadrons selected to form
the new force.
Successfully flew 31 operations with the Squadron
(
)
Image Source
Terry Kearns [3rd from left] with his crew at 156 Squadron.
The dinghy had been donated by a School from the proceeds
of a “penny trail”.
Posted to a Flying Instructors Course followed by a posting
to No 11 OTU, now at Westcott, converting Pilots onto
Wellingtons.
Posted to 'C' Flight 617 Squadron in September 1943, with
Navigator F/L Barclay, as the Squadron moved to Conningsby.
Formed a new crew and trained to the operational requirements
for low-level-flying and specialist attack procedures.
When the Stabilised Automatic Bomb Sight was introduced
they trained for the delivery of the 12,000 lb Blast Bomb.
This was replaced by the 12,000 Tallboy and later by the
22,000 lb Grand Slam.
He claimed a record on the practice Bombing Range
"Average error of 8 practice bombs, dropped from 20,000 feet,
was 15 yards from the aiming peg".
He had been suggested as a member of the “Dam Buster” raid
but was unable to get clearance from the OTU at the time.
Flew 30 operations on the Squadron including 7 'Special
Duties Targets', from December to January 1944.
A series of pin point attacks on factories in France that were reluctantly
working for the Germans, where the object was to ensure
maximum damage with minimum loss of French lives.
He converted to Mosquito’s and and returned to the Squadron
as one of the four Mosquito Markers on the Squadron.
The first time these were used as Low Level Markers was over
Munich on 24th April 1944.
One of his notable drops was on the Saumur Tunnel, this was
the first time Wallis’s new 12,000 lb Tallboy had been dropped.
He obliterated the Squadron Commander, Leonard Cheshire,
Marking flare and dropped his bomb in the mouth of the tunnel.
This prevented the remainder of the Squadron from having an
aiming point, so Cheshire said: “Hold on chaps, I’ll have to mark
it again”.
This prevented the German Panzer Division from reaching the
Allied beach-head that had been established 2 days earlier.
Posted as Chief Fying Instructor at No 17 Operational Training
Unit at Silverstone in October 1944.
Towards the end of the war, he was seconded to BOAC to fly
transports on the Karachi Route and on 28 May 1945 he flew
the first BOAC service out of London Airport.
On 8th June 1946, he helped fly a Sunderland in the “V” Day
Fly Past in London.
He was discharged in 1947, and returned to NZ.
He accepted a permanent commission in the RAF in 1949 and
was posted to No 3 [Transport] Squadron.
He spent 2 years at No 1 ITS flying a mixture of Vampire
and Meteors
Posted to No 60 [Fighter] Squadron, at Tengah, Singapore,
flying Vampires, in December 1960.
Flew many operations over the Malayan Jungle, including
rocket attacks and reconnaissance flights. as 'A' Flight Commander.
Posted back to the UK in April 1954.
He returned to Tengah in the summer and remained on
the Squadron until the end of July 1955.
Posted to Bomber Command and RAF Lindholm, this was followed
by a posting to No 231 Operational Conversion Unit, Bassington,
where he converted onto Canberras.
Promoted to S/L in January 1956, and posted as Flight Commander to
No 139 [Jamaica] Squadron Canberra, Binbrook.
The Squadron took part in the Suez Crisis and flew from Nicosia.
Posted to HQ Bomber Command Communications Squadron
[Meteor Flight] in April 1959, and held various positions in that HQ.
In 1963 he contracted Tuberculosis and was forced to retire.
He went to Shell before retiring in 1980
Rejoined the RAF Service No 501043
F/L, DSO on 26 Sep 44 on 617 Squadron
F/L, C W B Kelly, NZ403562
DSO, DFC,
11th June 1920 to 22 November 1995
Joined RNZAF on 29th September 1940, as a Navigator/Bomb
Aimer.
Posted to No 75 [NZ] Squadron, flying Stirlings.
Flew 54 operation while on No 75 [NZ] and No 156 Squadron,
Served as an Instructor between tours October 1942 to May 1943
and January 1944 to January 1945.
Returned to NZ after the war and was Hon, Aide-de-Camp to
The Governor General from 1st September 1960 to 31st August 1961
DFC on 7th January 1943, on No 75 [NZ] Squadron, he has
participated in sorties against the heaviest defended targets in
Germany with courage and devotion to duty.
F/L DSO on 30 Nov 43 on No 156 [Path Finders Force] Squadron
Since receiving the DFC, this officer has completed a large
number of sorties. He is an exceptional Navigator with great
keenness to train other members of his Squadron.
S/L MID, 1st January 1945, on No 92 Bomber Operational
Conversion Unit for Distinguished Service and
Devotion to Duty
S/L, W P Kemp, NZ 403550
DSO, DFC,
1st March 1915 to 11th January 1953
Joined the RNZAF on 29th September 1940
Flew in the Battle of Britain, and on the following Squadrons,
No 406 RCAF Squadron, No 46 and No 227 RAF Squadrons flying
Beaufighters, and No 487 [NZ] Squadron flying Mosquitos.
He is a member of the “Goldfish” and “Late Arrivals” club.
When delivering a Halifax to Algiers, engine failure forced a
ditching at sea 100 miles from their destination.
They reached land 2 days later and he walked 10 miles to get
help for a badly injured member of the crew.
F/L R Peel and S/L W P Kemp were one crew that flew the
March 1945 raid on the Gestapo HQ, with 487 [NZ] Squadron.
CO 487 [NZ] Squadron August to September 1945.
Retired on 17th April 1947
Became a top dressing pilot in Australia and was killed in an
Air Crash [wire strike] near Gatton, Australia
S/L DFC on 22nd February 1944 on No 227 Squadron flying
Beaufighters in North Africa, during his posting he had
destroyed a small supply ship and a Ju 88, prior to January
1944, when the Squadron attacked a supply ship protected
by 2 armed escorts.
His aircraft was hit by Anti-Aircraft fire, rendering the electrical
system unserviceable, Kemp, who had been wounded in the
foot by the Flak, continued the attack until the operation was
successfully completed.
Displaying great courage and devotion to duty.
S/L DSO 14 September 1945, on No 487 [NZ] Squadron, flying
Mosquitos, now on his third tour of operational duties and
has displayed high quantities of Courage, Leadership and
Devotion to Duty.
A S/L, W R Kofoed, NZ 404380
DSO, DFC, & Bar,
28th December 1915 to 19th August 1978
Enlisted in the RNZAF on 24th November 1940.
Commenced flying training on 23rd December 1940 at Taieri
Flew on No 642 Squadron
Promoted to Acting S/L 30th May 1944
Returned to NZ on 30th May 1944
He had completed 67 sorties with No 76 and No 462 [RAAF] Squadrons.
Promoted to W/C on 1st November 1944.
CO Taieri on 6th November 1944
to No 40 Squadron RNZAF.
Bougainsville as CO Field HQ Piva in 1945
Flew a serviceable Japanese Zeke [Zero] from Kara Airstrip,
Bougainville to Piva on 14th September 1945, this aircraft found
its way back to NZ and into the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Hon Aide-de Camp to Governor General 1st April 1947 to
31st March 1948, and 1st April 1949 to 31st March 1950.
CO No 4 Otago [Territorial] Squadron 1948 to 1950
F/L, DFC for service with No 76 and No 462 Squadrons flying
Halifax, including daylight raids on German Warships
at Brest, and 2 raids on the Navy Base at Trondheim.
In the Middle East, he has continued to exhibit this high
standard of Gallantry and Devotion to Duty, an inspiration to the Squadron
Bar to DFC
A S/L DSO 15 Oct 43 on No 462 [RAAF] Squadron, flying Halifax
having completed a tour of Operations in Europe and the
Middle East.
On his second tour he has attacked Palermo and Catatania
On one sortie a “Photo flash” exploded in the Fuselage
of his aircraft which was badly damaged.
He managed to fly his aircraft back to base, an 8 hour flight
Inspiring the members of the Squadron.
Air Efficiency Award on 1st December 1953 and
1st Clasp on 2nd August 1960
W/C, R J A Leslie -RAF-
DSO, AFC and Bar,
Joined the RNZAF in June 1939,
Transferred to RAF in April 1940.
Transferred to RNZAF in April 1945
Had seen service in the Middle East and was
CO No 75 [NZ] Squadron from May 1943 to Dec 1944
during the exchange of Stirlings for Lancasters
Chief Flying Instructor at No 1653 Conversion Unit in 1945
AFC
Bar to AFC on 10th January 1958
DSO 19 Dec 44 on 75 Sqn
This is a curation bot for TeamNZ. Please join our AUS/NZ community on Discord.
For any inquiries/issues about the bot please contact @cryptonik. Photo credits @lordnigel.
dear sir thanks to you shared this history otherwise we willl not know the history
comments without votes are treated as spam.
this will get you downvoted/flagged, this will affect your "reputation" [47]
and make it hard for you to progress.
it costs you nothing to vote, the authours need your vote for them to progress.
voting for your own comments is also frowned on