A Victoria Cross posthumously awarded to a Broughty Ferry bomber pilot is expected to raise up to £220,000 at auction this month.
Wing Commander Hugh Gordon Malcolm who was born in the burgh in 1917 and educated at Craigflower preparatory school in Dunfermline before attending Trinity College, Glenalmond was killed as he led a daring raid on the Chougui airfield in Tunisia on December 4, 1942.
Wg Cdr Malcolm and his colleagues from 326 Wing had spent the morning bombing and strafing a Luftwaffe landing strip 10 miles to the north of Chougui before returning to base at noon to refuel.
Mr Malcolm and his colleagues returned to base to refuel. Within an hour of landing, the 25-year-old received a message from the forward army battle zone requesting aerial support in the area they had just attacked.
Despite the risk of flying over a battle zone with no specific fighter cover, Mr Malcolm decided to fly the sortie and an attack group of 10 Blenheim bombers took to the skies.
One aircraft developed engine trouble 20 minutes into the ill-fated mission and crash landed, although its crew were spared serious injury.
He ploughed on with the remaining eight aircraft and the group eventually reached the forward fighting zone where they circled to identify the target and started to bomb.
German observers spotted the aerial incursion and a fleet of up to 50 Messerschmitt fighters were despatched to deal with the threat.
The ensuing dogfight was over within five minutes with the Blenheim crews massacred by the overwhelming force of the opposition.
Three of the aircraft crash landed within Allied lines and the crews were recovered, although four were injured.
Mr Malcolm’s Blenheim was one of the last left flying but it was eventually shot down and erupted into flames 15 miles from the bombing target.
The body of one of the crew navigator James Robb was recovered within minutes of the crash but the intense heat and risk from detonating ammunition meant Mr Malcolm and wireless operator/air gunner J. Grant could not be extricated from the wreckage.
Mr Malcolm was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on April 27, 1943, for his decision to fly the sortie despite knowing it would “court almost certain disaster” and in recognition of his courage and leadership in previous missions in support of the North Africa campaign.
His Victoria Cross along with four campaign medals including the Air Crew Europe and Africa stars will be auctioned at Spink’s London saleroom on April 22.
The lot, which also includes Mr Malcolm’s logbook with an official stamp stating “Killed in Action,” is being offered for auction with a pre-sale estimate of £180,000 to £220,000.