A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties 252


Three: Able Seaman Torpedoman B. L. Fisher, Royal Navy, killed in action when H.M.S. Royal Oak was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-47 at anchor at Scapa Flow, 14 October 1939


1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR;WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. D. G. Fisher, 17 Perowne Street, Aldershot, Hants’; together with fifteen Sporting Medals awarded to the recipient between 1933-39, silver and bronze, including four ROYAL NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDALS, the reverses engraved ‘Standard High Jump A.B. Fisher’; ‘Athletics 1939 High Jump Winner’; ‘Athletics 1938 High Jump Winner’; and ‘Athletics 1936 High Jump 2nd.’; three INTER SERVICES ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPSMEDALS, the reverses engraved ‘1936 High Jump 4th’; ‘1938 High Jump 4th’; and ‘1939 3rd Team’; a PORTSMOUTH PORT ATHLETICSMEDAL, the reverse engraved ‘1936 H. Jump 2nd’, the majority in cases of issue, extremely fine (lot) £140-180


Billie Leonard Fisher served for seven years in the Royal Navy, where he was a keen athlete and champion high-jumper, and was advanced to the rank of Leading Torpedoman. He transferred from H.M.S. Courageous to H.M.S. Royal Oak on the latter’s re-commissioning in June 1939, and served on her during the Second World War. He was killed in action when the Royal Oak was torpedoed whilst at anchor at H.M. Naval Base Scapa Flow, Orkney, by the German U-boat U-47 under the command of Günther Prien on 14 October 1939; of the total ship’s compliment of 1,234 men and boys, 833 were killed or subsequently died of wounds. Fisher is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.


Sold together with various photographs and copy newspaper cuttings referring to the sinking of the Royal Oak.


253


Three: Assistant Cook T. Carter, Royal Navy, killed in action when H.M.S. Grenville struck a mine in the Thames Estuary, 19 January 1940


1939-45 STAR;ATLANTIC STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. A. G. Carter, 45 Foxbury Lane, Gosport, Hants’, nearly extremely fine (3)


£100-140


Thomas Carter served during the Second World War in H.M.S. Grenville, the flotilla-leader for the G-Class Destroyers, and was involved in several attempts to intercept enemy shipping traffic off the Dutch and German North Sea coasts. Whilst returning from one of these missions she struck a mine, which had been laid by air in the Thames Estuary, on 19 January 1940, and sunk with the loss of 77 lives, out of a total compliment of 191 Officers and crew. Carter was amongst those killed, aged 21, and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.


254


Three: Able Seaman E. G. Whitelock, Royal Navy, killed in action when H.M.S. Daring was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-23, under the command of the ‘Wolf of the Atlantic’ Otto Ktretschmer, off Duncansby Head, 18 February 1940


1939-45 STAR;ATLANTIC STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. A. Whitelock, Whitcombe, Corton Denham, Sherborne, Dorset’, nearly extremely fine (3)


£120-160


Edward George Whitelock served during the Second World War in H.M.S. Daring, a D-Class Destroyer that had, for a time, been the first command of Lord Louis Mountbatten. On 18 February 1940 H.M.S. Daring was one of four destroyers escorting a convoy from the Norway campaign to the U.K. In the early hours of the morning the convoy was sighted by U-23, commanded by the man who would later become known as the ‘Wolf of the Atlantic’, Otto Ktretschmer. At a point some 30 miles East from Duncansby Head U-23 found herself trapped on the surface between the two port-side escorts of the convoy. In order to enable an escape Kretschmer decided to attack the stern destroyer, H.M.S. Daring. Two torpedoes were fired and Daring was hit; almost immediately later a secondary explosion ripped through the ship, broke her in half she sank within two minutes, with the loss of 157 Officers and crew. There were only 5 survivors. Whitelock was amongst those killed, aged 22, and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.


Sold together with two original letters written by the recipient whilst at sea in H.M.S. Daring; and a photographic image of the ship’s crew.


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