Joseph Berry pilot medals valued at up to $12,500

A set of medals awarded to second world war pilot Joseph Berry are to auction at Anderson and Garland in Newcastle on June 16-17.

It's expected to make £5,000-8,000 ($7,745-12,392).

medals Berry Doodlebug
Joseph Berry was a renowned second world war fighter pilot  

Berry received the nickname the Doodlebug Destroyer for his skill in shooting down Nazi rocket-propelled V1 bombs.

The bombs were launched towards Britain at the end of the war and would have proven devastating were it not for the bravery of the RAF pilots tasked with intercepting them.

Fred Wyrley-Birch of Anderson and Garland told ITV News: "Joseph Berry really was an unsung hero and this collection is as rare as it gets.

"He shot down twice as many Doodlebugs as anybody else. "They were night time flyers, because this was the only time you could see the Doodlebugs.

"One night, there was bad cloud cover and no one wanted to go up. Berry got fed up of waiting, jumped into his plane and flew a mission where he shot a couple of Doodlebugs.

"He came back, walked into the bar and said: 'That's how it's done.' His heroics are commemorated in a museum near where he was shot down in Holland.'"

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