A.L.s from Roderick Learoyd VC

THE LETTER IS WRITTEN, DATED AND SIGNED ENTIRELY IN LEAROYD'S HAND, AND IS SOLD WITH A POOR QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT. Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd was gazetted for the Victoria Cross on 20 August 1940. The citation reads: 'On 12 August 1940 Flight Lieutenant Learoyd was one of the pilots briefed to bomb the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany. Of the four other aircraft which had already made the attack on that night, two were destroyed and two were badly hit. Flight Lieutenant Learoyd took his plane into the target at only 150 feet, in the full glare of the searchlights and flak barrage all around him. The aircraft was very badly damaged but the bombs were duly dropped and he managed to get his crippled plane back to England where he flew round until first light, finally landing without causing injury to his crew or further damage to his aircraft'. Flight Lieutenant (later Wing Commander) Roderick Alastair Brook Learoyd (1913-1996) was serving with 49 Squadron, Bomber Command.