A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties (Part II) 978
Pair: Corporal R. Lewis, Royal Armoured Corps, who was killed in action when the troopship Lancastria was bombed and sunk by German Ju-88s off St. Nazaire, 17 June 1940- the loss of the Lancastria was the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history with some estimates putting the casualties as high as 6,500 souls
1939-45 STAR; WAR MEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. Lewis, 16 Church Road, Westbury, Wilts.’, good very fine (2)
£100-140
Ronald Lewis served during the Second World War as a Corporal in the Royal Armoured Corps. Following the fall of France and the evacuation of Dunkirk, Lewis found himself retreating to St Nazaire to await evacuation. Operation Aerial was launched to effect the rescue of the remaining Allied troops and civilians from Atlantic ports, particularly St Nazaire and Nantes, from 15-17 June 1940. A large number of servicemen, as well as number of civilians, including embassy staff and employees of the Fairey Aviation factory, were embarked upon the Cunard liner and troopship H.M.T. Lancastria at St. Nazaire in the Loire estuary. Although the ship’s official capacity was 2,200, her Captain had been instructed to ‘load as many men as possible without regard to the limits set down under international law.’
At 2:00 p.m. on 17 June a German air-raid commenced. The Lancastria was advised to depart, but without a destroyer escort as defence against a possible submarine attack her Captain decided to wait. At 4:00 p.m. a fresh air raid began, and the Lancastria was bombed by German Ju-88s. Three direct hits caused the ship to list, and within fifteen minutes she began to capsize. The ship sank quickly and vessels in the area were still under attack during rescue operations, which saved about 2,477 passengers and crew. The total number of people on board is unknown; however, some estimates put the figure as high as 9,000, which would mean a total loss of life of around 6,500, and account for approximately a third of the total casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940; even conservative estimates put it at 3,000 souls, making it the largest single-ship loss of life in British maritime history. Many of the dead were recorded as simply ‘missing in action during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France’.
Lewis was amongst those killed in the Lancastria, aged 20. He is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, France. His medals were sent to his mother Mabel Lewis.
979
Three: Sergeant B. P. Hoare, Royal Army Service Corps, who was killed in action during the evacuation of Crete, 2 June 1941
1939-45 STAR; AFRICA STAR;WARMEDAL 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. M. W. Hoare, 1 Chapel Road, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, Hants.’, extremely fine (3)
£100-140
Brendan Patrick Hoare served during the Second World War as a Sergeant in 231 Reserve Motor Transport Company, Royal Army Service Corps, and was killed in action during the evacuation of Crete; he was in one of the last groups evacuated from the island on the Norwegian Whaler Kos XXII, which was bombed and sunk south of Crete on 2 June 1941.
Hoare was aged 25 at the time of his death. He is commemorated on the Athens Memorial, Greece. His medals were sent to his father Mr. M. W. Hoare.
980
Family Group: Four: Private A. S. Mace, East Surrey Regiment, who was killed in action in Malaya, 5 February 1942 1939-45 STAR; PACIFIC STAR; DEFENCE ANDWAR MEDALS 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. S. C. Mace, 18 Caversham Avenue, Palmers Green, London, N13.’, extremely fine
One: Mr. S. C. Mace, Home Guard DEFENCE MEDAL, with Home Secretary’s enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. S. C. Mace, 18 Caversham Avenue, Palmers Green, London, N13.’, extremely fine (5)
£100-140
Albert Sydney Mace served during the Second World War as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment in Malaya. When War was declared in 1939 the Battalion was recalled from China and sent to Singapore for combat training. Six months later they were sent north to Tanjon Pau near Jitra in the extreme north of Malaya where they joined the 11th Indian Division. On 7 December 1941 the Japanese landed a strong force of troops from Thailand and quickly swept down the main road towards Jitra. They quickly broke through the original defensive positions, and new positions were set up three miles north of Gurun, where the East Surreys were given a frontage of 15,000 yards to hold. When the attack came the situation rapidly deteriorated and the Regiment was shattered into casualties and small groups of survivors. After four hard days of fighting they were reduced to 10 officers and 260 other ranks. On 20 December those survivors were merged with the Leicesters to form a British Battalion of 760 all ranks, and from 23 December they held positions at Kampar. By 2 January 1943 the Battalion, under immense pressure, began a retreat which lasted twelve days during which time they fought a series of small scale actions. By 27 January the situation in Malaya had deteriorated further and the remains of the battered Battalion were ordered to withdraw, with the survivors eventually reaching Singapore on 29 January. Here they fought on until the Fall of Singapore. In all 169 other ranks of the East Surrey’s were killed in action during this period.
Mace was amongst those killed, aged 21. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Sydney Charles Mace, who himself served during the Second World War in the Home Guard.
Note: Although Mace’s death is recorded at 5 February 1942 this is the date that the Regimental record was written off; his actual date of death being sometime during the Battalion’s rearguard action in Malaya prior to the Battalion’s arrival in Singapore on 29 January 1942.
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