Battle damaged earphone : Flying Officer D F B Sheen, 72 Squadron Royal Air Force

Battle damaged natural leather covered padded earphone originally fitted to a Royal Air Force Type B flying helmet. The earphone is divided vertically in half by an unfastened open brass zipper. The leather exterior has been damaged by a bullet, piercing and tearing both halves. One of the tears is significantly larger than the other indicating that this is the likely point where the bullet exited. An oval piece of chamois leather is attached to inner portion of the earphone to protect the wearer's ear. The heavily decayed remnants of a small rubber insert for the earphone is also extant.

This earphone was worn by Flight Lieutenant Desmond Frederick Burt Sheen as part of a Type 'B' flying helmet during air operations along the coast of Scotland. On 7 December 1939 he engaged a formation of seven German Heinkel He111 bombers and was wounded in the ear and thigh by return fire from the bombers.

Sheen was born in Sydney in 1917 and raised in Canberra where his father was employed in the construction of some of the city's most significant buildings, including old Parliament House.

After leaving school in 1932 Sheen served in the public service until he was old enough to apply for a cadetship with the Royal Australian Air Force. Travelling to England in 1937 he was commissioned in the Royal Air Force. With the outbreak of the Second World War Sheen began flying operations off the coast of the United Kingdom with 72 Squadron RAF.

In April 1940 Sheen joined the Photographic Development Unit (PDU) and flew photo reconnaissance missions over Italy. He also served with 212 Squadron, RAF in a similar capacity in France prior to and during the German invasion. After the fall of France, Sheen continued to serve with the PDU until the end of July 1940 when he returned to 72 Squadron in time to fight in the Battle of Britain.

Shot down twice during the Battle of Britain, Sheen accounted for three enemy aircraft destroyed, one shared and two damaged. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September 1940 and a bar to the award on 21 October 1941.

Sheen ultimately received command of 72 Squadron and led the unit in offensive sweeps over occupied Europe. Subsequently, he held staff appointments and station commands in Britain and in the Middle East. After the war Sheen remained in the RAF until his retirement in 1971. He died in 2001