A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties (Part II) 974


Five: Stoker Petty Officer S. R. Mansfield, Royal Navy, who died from a shell rack wound to the head whilst on active service in H.M.S. Marauder, 14 February 1947


NAVALGENERAL SERVICE 1915-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1936-1939, Palestine 1945-48, second clasp loose on riband, as issued (KX.92714 S. R. Mansfield. Sto. 1. R.N.); 1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR; DEFENCE ANDWARMEDALS 1939-45, nearly extremely fine (5)


£180-220


Stanley Reginald Mansfield was born in Portsmouth on 24 October 1919 and entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 14 December 1937. Promoted Stoker 1st Class on 14 December 1938, he served in H.M.S. Hero during operations on and off the coast of Palestine. He saw further service during the Second World War in H.M.S. Abingdon, Banff, Ferret, and Tuscan, before transferring to H. M.S. Marauder, with the rate of Stoker Petty Officer, on 1 October 1946. He was accidentally killed whilst on active service by a ‘shell rack wound to the head’ on 14 February 1947, aged 32. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.


975


Pair: Lance-Sergeant J. H. Harper, Royal Engineers, who was killed in action at de Panne during the retreat to Dunkirk, 31 May 1940


1939-45 STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. M. Harper, Crantock, 3 Leslie Road, Streetly, Nr. B’ham’, extremely fine (2)


£70-90


John Hugh Harper (erroneously listed on the CWGC Roll as Harpur) was born in Derby and attested for the Royal Engineers on 1 September 1939. He served during the Second World War as a Lance-Sergeant with 225 Field Company, Royal Engineers, and was killed in action on 31 May - 1 June 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk.


Harper was aged 21 at the time of his death. He is buried in de Panne Communal Cemetery, Belgium. His medals were sent to his mother Maud Mary Harper.


De Panne village was the site of the final General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, and there was a Casualty Clearing Station on the beach, which was also an embarkation beach for the evacuation. From 27 May to 1 June 1940, the Germans strove to prevent the embarkation of the troops by incessant bombing, machine-gunning and shelling. The first German troops reached the village at 2:00 p.m. on 31 May, and after heavy fighting, the commune was completely occupied by the enemy by 9:00 a.m. on 1 June. Given the date of Harper’s death, and the location of his grave, it is likely that he was involved in the final rearguard action at de Panne.


976


Pair: Private N. Prentice, East Yorkshire Regiment, who died of wounds at de Panne during the retreat to Dunkirk, 31 May 1940


1939-45 STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. Prentice, 61 Folkstone Street, Bradford’, extremely fine (2)


£70-90


Norman Prentice served during the Second World War as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, and died of wounds received in action on 31 May 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk.


Prentice was aged 25 at the time of his death. He is buried in de Panne Communal Cemetery, Belgium. His medals were sent to his mother Mrs. Prentice.


De Panne village was the site of the final General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, and there was a Casualty Clearing Station on the beach, which was also an embarkation beach for the evacuation. From 27 May to 1 June 1940, the Germans strove to prevent the embarkation of the troops by incessant bombing, machine-gunning and shelling. The first German troops reached the village at 2:00 p.m. on 31 May, and after heavy fighting, the commune was completely occupied by the enemy by 9:00 a.m. on 1 June. Given the date of Prentice’s death, and the location of his grave, it is likely that he was involved in the final rearguard action at de Panne.


977


Pair: Second Lieutenant N. M. Collins, Royal Fusiliers, who died of wounds at de Panne during the retreat to Dunkirk, 31 May 1940


1939-45 STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, both contemporarily engraved ‘2/Lt. N. M. Collins. Royal Fusiliers’, with named Army Council enclosure, extremely fine (2)


£100-140


Neville Murray Collins was born in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, on 16 September 1918, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel N. Collins, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and was educated at Radley College and Balliol College, Oxford. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers on 27 November 1939, and served during the Second World War with the 2nd Battalion. He died of wounds received in action on 31 May - 1 June 1940 during the retreat to Dunkirk.


In his book The Battle of Britain, James Holland writes: ‘The Eastern sector of the defence perimeter was suffering badly under the onslaught of the German 18th Army. The 2nd Battalion began to suffer heavily under this sustained attack. Their depleted number armed with rifles, a few Bren guns, and way too little ammunition could only hold on for so long against massively superior fire and man power. Their remaining carriers had now been pressed into service as ambulances to carry the wounded back to the Regimental Aid Post. Casualties were now critical so Major Lotinga ordered them to fall back another 800 yards. Another Second Lieutenant and several N.C.O.s were killed in the process... Out of 800 men who had marched into Belgium two weeks earlier a little under 150 remained. Gathering their remaining carriers they collected themselves together and under cover of dusk headed on down the road to de Panne, now largely empty but pitted with shell craters and lined with houses and buildings mostly reduced to rubble.’


Collins was aged 21 at the time of his death. He is buried in de Panne Communal Cemetery, Belgium.


De Panne village was the site of the final General Headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, and there was a Casualty Clearing Station on the beach, which was also an embarkation beach for the evacuation. From 27 May to 1 June 1940, the Germans strove to prevent the embarkation of the troops by incessant bombing, machine-gunning and shelling. The first German troops reached the village at 2:00 p.m. on 31 May, and after heavy fighting, the commune was completely occupied by the enemy by 9:00 a.m. on 1 June. Given the date of Collins’ death, and the location of his grave, it is likely that he was involved in the final rearguard action at de Panne.


Sold with the recipient’s Officers Training Corps Certificate; and a copy of the Royal Fusiliers Chronicle, January 1942, and newspaper cuttings from The Times and The Radleian, which lists the recipient’s death.


www.dnw.co.uk


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