Rank:

Flight Lieutenant

Unit:

No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

December 10th, 1948

Awarded for:

Operation Vittles

"Flight Lieutenant Mortley is a very experienced Transport Command pilot whose general work and bearing in the air and on the ground have always been outstanding in his squadron. He has been continuously engaged on the Berlin air lift since the early days of the operation and has now completed successfully 107 sorties from Wunstorf, Fassberg and Lubeck.

His performance during that period has been of a consistently high standard and he has displayed throughout the qualities of cool, efficient leadership, persistent determination and resolute skill which have triumphed over the difficult and exacting conditions imposed by the weather. Flight Lieutenant Mortley is one of the experienced hard core of aircraft captains who have established the tradition of steady, unfailing regularity which have characterised the air lift operations to date. The qualities displayed by Flight Lieutenant Mortley and his fellow captains have been a most potent factor in establishing our confidence in the continued effectiveness of the air lift in the difficult winter months ahead."