A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties 273
Four: Able Seaman W. J. Cracknell, Royal Navy, who was killed in action during Operation Accolade - the British Occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, when H.M.S. Dulverton was bombed and sunk by German aircraft from Kos, 13 November 1943
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; ITALY STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. I. M. Anderson, 3502, 43rd. Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada’, extremely fine (4)
£140-180
William John Cracknell served during the Second World War in the destroyer H.M.S. Dulverton, and took part in Operation Accolade, the British Occupation of the Dodecanese Islands. Improvise and Dare, by J. S. Guarel, gives the following account: ‘German landing began at Leros on 12 November 1943, with the British Garrison on Leros coming under sustained and heavy attack. Royal Navy patrols searched the area looking for an invasion convoy aided by Wellingtons of the Royal Air Force. By the end of the day one hundred and thirty five Stuka raids had been made on the garrison, and allied moral began to sag. On the morning of 13 November attempts were made to carry out a shore bombardment by Hunt Class destroyers H.M.S. Echo, Belvoir, and Dulverton. During this action Dulverton was hit by a glider bomb, which resulted in her bows being blown off. Echo and Belvoir rescued 120 men, before Dulverton finally sank. The garrison at Leros finally surrendered at 5:30 p.m. on 16 November.
Three Officers and 75 crew were killed in the sinking of H.M.S. Dulverton, including Cracknell, aged 35. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Medals issued to the recipient’s sister.
274
Three: Apprentice P. K. Green, Merchant Navy, who was killed in action when the cargo ship S.S. Testbank, while under air attack from German Ju88 bombers as it discharged its cargo in Bari Harbour, Italy, was engulfed and sunk by the explosion of the John Harvey, a Liberty Ship carrying a top-secret cargo of Mustard Gas, 2 December 1943
1939-45 STAR; ITALY STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Minister of Transport enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. D. K. Green, 84 Leam Terrace, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire’, extremely fine (3)
£80-120
Peter Kenyon Green served during the Second World War in the Merchant Navy, and was killed in action when the Glasgow cargo ship the S.S. Testbank was sunk in Bari Harbour, Italy, on 2 December 1943. On this date Testbank was alongside the Mole at the port of Bari, off loading war materials with some other 30 ships after the Anzio landings. The offloading was covered by the port search lights and so was very visible. The port was attacked by a bomber force of 100 Ju88’s who caused significant damage to the dock and sank a considerable amount of shipping. Testbank was docked alongside the John Harvey, a large U.S. Liberty ship. When the John Harvey was hit she began to burn fiercely and subsequently blew up with tremendous force taking the Testbank with her. The John Harvey was carrying a top-secret cargo of Mustard Gas bombs which caused significant loss of life and was covered up by the Allies, with the full extent of her cargo not revealed until 1975. 70 members of Testbank’s crew were killed in the explosion, including Green, aged just 16. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.
275
Five: Petty Officer E. R. Ford, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Lapwing, as part of Murmansk Convoy JW-65, was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-968 off Kola Inlet in the Barents Sea, 20 March 1945
BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (J.51232 E. R. Ford. Ord. R.N.); 1939-45 STAR; FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR, 1 clasp, Atlantic; WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, the Second War awards in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. F. E. Ford, 42 Livingstone Road, Southall, Middlesex’, good very fine and better (5)
£140-180
Edward Robert Ford was born in Lambeth, London, on 25 July 1900, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 1 February 1916. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. King Alfred, and was advanced Ordinary Seaman on 25 January 1918; Able Seaman on 1 November 1918; and Leading Seaman on 2 September 1921. Post War he served in a variety of vessels and shore establishments and on 3 January 1927 was advanced to Petty Officer whereupon he joined the battleship H.M.S. Rodney.
He remained a Petty Officer during the Second World War, and at the time of his death was serving in H.M.S. Lapwing. In March 1945 Lapwing was assigned as part of a 22-ship escort group to the 26-ship convoy JW-65, sailing from the Clyde to Murmansk. On the afternoon of 20 March 1945, whilst off Kola Inlet in the Barents Sea, the convoy was attacked by the German U-boat U-968, commanded by Otto Westphelen. H.M.S. Lapwing was hit amidships at 1:25 p.m. and sank 20 minutes later. Only 61 crew members survived, with 158 Officers and crew going down with the ship. Ford was one of those killed, aged 44. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
276
Pair: Bombardier A. F. Thomas, Royal Artillery, who drowned at Lens, France, on 13 October 1939
1939-45 STAR;WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. Thomas, 3, Marldon Avenue, Paignton, Devon’, extremely fine (2)
£60-80
Arthur Francis Thomas served with the 30th Field Regiment Royal Artillery during the Second World War, as part of the 4th Infantry Division under the command of Major-General D. G. Johnson. The Division landed in France on 1 October 1939, and Thomas was accidentally drowned in Lens Canal on 13 October 1939, aged 23. He is buried in Lens Eastern Communal Cemetery, France. He is also commemorated on the memorial in Peter Tavy Churchyard, Devon.
277
Three: Driver E. Bradshaw, Royal Army Service Corps, killed in action at Dunkirk, 20 May 1940
1939-45 STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. F. E. Bradshaw, 31 Knightthorpe Road, Loughborough, Leics.’; SPECIAL CONSTABULARY LONG SERVICE MEDAL,
G.VI.R., 1st issue (Eric Bradshaw.) minor edge bruise to last, otherwise extremely fine (3)
£80-120
Eric Bradshaw served with the 49th General Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps during the Second World War, and was killed in action at Dunkirk on 20 May 1940, aged 42, his death certificate reading ‘presumed died battle casualty France/Belgium campaign’. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, France.
www.dnw.co.uk
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