A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties (Part II) 951
Three: Stoker Petty Officer H. Stead, Royal Navy, who was lost at sea when H.M.S. Branlebas, whilst on convoy duties, sunk in heavy seas off the south Devon coast, 14 December 1940
1939-45 STAR;ATLANTIC STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. M. Stead, 202 Westbourne Avenue, Gateshead, Co. Durham’, extremely fine (3)
£80-120
Harry Stead served during the Second World War as a Stoker Petty Officer in the ex-French Destroyer H.M.S. Branlebas, that had sailed to Great Britain to join the Free French forces after the capitulation of France. Charged with escorting a westbound convoy, she left Dartmouth at 6:00 p.m. on 13 December 1940, and soon ran into difficulties; her poor seaworthiness meant that she could not keep pace with the convoy in rough weather and she produced a lot of suffocating smoke. After losing contact with the convoy during the night, at 9:00 a.m. on 14 December 1940 a heavy sea caused her to break her back at the aft end of the engine room. The stern section separated, and she sank immediately, 25 miles south west of the Eddystone Lighthouse, off the south Devon coast. There were only three survivors.
Stead was amongst those killed, aged 33. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Marfitt Stead.
Sold with the recipient’s three diaries, for 1935, 1936, and 1937, during which period he was serving in the Royal Navy, based at Simonstown, South Africa.
952
Three: Storekeeper F. L. C. Swanson, Merchant Navy, who was killed in action when the S.S. Almeda Star was torpedoed by the German submarine U-96 and sank off Rockall with all hands, 17 January 1941; he had earlier witnessed the sinking of the Graf Spee at Montevideo in December 1939
1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Minister of Transport enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. G. G. Corbin, 57 Elborough Street, Southfields, London SW18’; together with the named Buckingham Palace enclosure, in envelope addressed to ‘Mrs. Gladys G. Swanson.’, extremely fine (3)
£120-160
Francis Swanson served during the Second World War as a Storekeeper in the 14,936 ton Blue Star Line passenger ship the S.S. Almeda Star. While docked in Montevideo harbour at the start of the War she found herself alongside the Graf Spee, after the latter’s engagement with the cruisers H.M.S. Ajax, Achilles, and Exeter during the Battle of the River Plate, and witnessed the latter’s scuttling and sinking. The Almeda Star was lost with her entire compliment of 360 when, en route from Liverpool to Trinadad, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-96 35 miles east of Rockall on 17 January 1941; amongst her passengers were 21 officers and 121 ratings of the F.A.A., en-route to R.N.A.S. Piarco, Trinadad.
Swanson was amongst those killed, aged 30. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. His medals were sent to his widow Gladys G. Swanson, who had subsequently remarried.
Sold together with six photographs showing the sinking of the Graf Spee at Montevido, 18 December 1939, all framed and glazed.
953
Three: Able Seaman A. S. Snaith, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Wryneck was attacked and sunk by German Ju87 dive bombers whilst taking part in the evacuation of Greece, 27 April 1941
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. H. H. Snaith, 11 Edward Street, Salford 6, Lancs’, extremely fine (3)
£120-160
Albert Sidney Snaith served during the Second World War as an Able Seaman in the fast escort ship H.M.S. Wryneck. In March 1941 she formed part of the escort of military convoys taking British troops to Greece as part of Operation Lustre. In April 1941, following the fall of Greece, Wryneck returned to assist in the allied withdrawal. On 26 April she rescued troops from Nauplia. The following day, 27 April, she sailed with H.M.S. Diamond to assist in the rescue of survivors from the Dutch troopship Slamat, which had been disabled in air attacks. After picking up 700 crewmen and troops, the two ships came under sustained air attack from a force of Ju87 dive bombers. Wrynack and Diamond were both sunk around 20 nautical miles east of Cape Maleas, Greece. Of the 983 men from all three ships, only 66 survived.
Snaith was amongst those killed, aged 21. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Mr. H. H. Snaith.
954
Family Group:
Three: Able Seaman James McLean Smith, Royal Navy, killed in action when H.M.S. Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, was sunk by the German battleship Bismark and the battle cruiser Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941; of the Hood’s 1,418 crew, only three men survived 1939-45 STAR;ATLANTIC STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. J. M. Smith, 6 Bourne Street, Hull’, extremely fine
Three: Stoker John McLean Smith, Royal Naval Reserve BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (3118T J. Mc L. Smith. Engn. R.N.R.); ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (2394U. J. Mc L. Smith. Sto. R.N.R.) very fine (6)
£240-280
James McLean Smith served during the Second World War as an Able Seaman in the Battle Cruiser H.M.S. Hood. He was killed in action during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, when the Hood, together with the battleship H.M.S. Prince of Wales, fought the German battleship Bismark and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, both of which were attempting to break out into the North Atlantic to destroy Allied merchant shipping. The Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, opened fire at 5:52 a.m. on 24 May 1941, and having received a direct hit from the Bismark at 6:00 a.m. sank beneath the waves within three minutes, after a total combat lifespan of less than quarter of an hour. Of the 1,418 Officers and crew on board, only three men, Ordinary Seaman Ted Briggs, Able Seaman Robert Tilburn, and Midshipman William Dundas survived.
Smith was amongst those killed, aged 28. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his father John McLean Smith, who had served during the Great War in the Royal Naval Reserve.
Sold with four photographic images, three of the recipient and one of H.M.S. Hood
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285 |
Page 286 |
Page 287 |
Page 288 |
Page 289 |
Page 290 |
Page 291 |
Page 292 |
Page 293 |
Page 294 |
Page 295 |
Page 296 |
Page 297 |
Page 298 |
Page 299 |
Page 300 |
Page 301 |
Page 302 |
Page 303 |
Page 304 |
Page 305 |
Page 306 |
Page 307 |
Page 308 |
Page 309 |
Page 310 |
Page 311 |
Page 312 |
Page 313 |
Page 314 |
Page 315 |
Page 316 |
Page 317 |
Page 318 |
Page 319 |
Page 320 |
Page 321 |
Page 322 |
Page 323 |
Page 324 |
Page 325 |
Page 326 |
Page 327 |
Page 328 |
Page 329 |
Page 330 |
Page 331 |
Page 332 |
Page 333 |
Page 334 |
Page 335
