July 12-14, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/13/2022
World War II US Marine Corps MIA/KIA Purple Heart engraved to a TBF-1 Avenger Radio Operator Gunner. Donald Stewart Batchelor was born on June 8, 1921 in Ontario, Canada where he lived with his mother Elva, and father Royal Batchelor. The family was small with Donald being their only child. On December 11, 1926, The family, comprising of Irish and English descent, decided to immigrate to the United States when Donald was only 5 years old. They eventually settled in St. Claire Shores, Michigan, where Donald spent the rest of his childhood just south of his home country of Canada. During his late teens and early adult years, Donald was able to find work at the Chrysler Corporation and was employed at their Jefferson Plant. Donald continued to work for the Chrysler Corporation until the eruption of World War II, and he entered the service less than 3 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor on March 2, 1942. Eager to serve his adopted country, the 5'11 blonde hair and blue eyed Donald joined the Marine Corps, where he fulfilled the role of a radio operator/gunner on TBF Avengers. Although the Grumman TBF Avenger was a rugged aircraft, the radio operator was a vulnerable position. Avengers consisted of a 3 man crew: the pilot, the gunner, who was kept busy in his powered turret with a .50-caliber machine gun, and the third crew member was the radio operator. Instead of sitting under the canopy, Donald sat in the crew compartment that ran from floor to ceiling behind the bomb bay doors and beneath the turret gunner. Other crewman joked and called this space "the tunnel" or the “cheap seats” due to the fact that it was noisy, smelly, and claustrophobic. The position was vulnerable because there was no armor in the bottom of the tunnel as there was around the seats of the pilot and turret gunner, which was especially dangerous when under attack by AA fire. Donald was also responsible for a variety of jobs which kept the radio operator quite busy during flight. In front of the radio operator were several panels for the radio, navigation, and weapons arming. Donald and other radio operators basically ran a rudimentary combat information center which was crucial to the successful operation of the aircraft. After completing his training, Donald was assigned to VMSB-143, a Marine Scout Bomber Squadron stationed at Guadalcanal. The squadron was commissioned on March 1, 1942, just a day before Donald's enlistment, and departed the United States on October 15, 1942. The squadron began operations and flying combat missions a month later on November 17, 1942. Donald and the men of VMSB-143 were immediately thrown into action and began bombing targets in New Georgia, Bougainville, and the Solomon Islands with successful strikes against the Japanese at Munda Airfield, Kahili Airfield, and numerous Japanese vessels. VSMB-143 was also tasked with various mine laying missions in order to damage, sink, and deter Japanese ships. On May 19, 1943 Donald Batchelor would board his TBF-1 Avenger for his final mission. Donald was assigned to the crew of 1st Lieutenant Robert H. Keim Jr. and PFC Clarence H. Goodwin who he had flown with many times before. Their task for the night of May 19, 1943 was to lay mines around the Solomon Islands in order to thwart Japanese warships. During this day 30 TBF Avengers from VT-11 and VMSB-143 scored direct hits on the center of the starboard side of the ship Houn Maru causing intense flooding which forced the ship to be deliberately run aground at Buin Harbor on southern Bougainville. Despite the success of the mission, it was sad day for VSMB-143, as 2 of the Avengers did not return from their missions, including the Avenger piloted by Keim and crewed by Goodwin and Batchelor. One pilot who participated in the mission stated that numerous searchlights and anti-aircraft fire were encountered over the target area. When the aircraft failed to return they were officially declared Missing In Action. Robert Keim Jr.'s obituary is able to paint a clearer picture of what exactly happened that night: "He [Keim] ran a gantlet [sic] of blinding searchlights and bursting enemy shells, successfully accomplishing his missions before his plane, on its third night mine-laying flight in the Buin area, was shot down, the announcement stated." Keim and his crew were cited for "participating in "hazardous" daylight bombing raids against Munda airfield in the face of "terrific antiaircraft fire" and awarded the Air Medal posthumously. No trace of the crew's remains were ever recovered and the aircraft was never found. Donald and his crew remain missing in action to this day and are memorialized on the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, "A structure erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere." There is not much written about Donald Stewart Batchelor, and his Purple Heart Medal may be one of the last pieces preserving his legacy. The Purple Heart is an early US Mint type I made of sterling silver, gold gilt, and plastic heart with split wrap brooch. The Medal is engraved on the reverse "P.F.C. / DONALD S. / BATCHELOR, / USMCR." in USMC style engraving and is contained in its early war purple box. CONDITION: The medal exhibits areas of gilt loss, especially around the engraving. Box opens all the way, medal impression obvious on the velvet lining. Overall good. The Purple Heart is accompanied by a small folder of research. Donald Batchelor's memory needs to be preserved in a place of honor where his story of fighting and giving everything for his adopted country is not forgotten. JLD
Item Dimensions: 5" x 2 - 1/2"