Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry 59
A good Second War B.E.M. group of eight awarded to Petty Officer S. Shaw, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his services in H.M.S. Clarkia, which corvette rescued over 130 merchant seamen from six different ships in the period 1940-42, and in August 1943 rescued the survivors of U-468, which U-Boat had been sunk by a Liberator of 200 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer L. A. Trigg, Royal New Zealand Air Force: evidence submitted by the rescued U- Boat captain would later reveal ‘an epic of grim determination and high courage’ and resulted in the award of a posthumous V.C. to Trigg, the only Victoria Cross awarded solely on the evidence of the enemy
British Empire Medal, (Military)
G.VI.R., 1st issue (A.B. Samuel Shaw, C/JX. 126470, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (C/JX. 126470 S. Shaw, B.E.M., P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C.,
G.VI.R., 1st issue (/JX. 146270 S. Shaw, P.O., H.M.S. Osprey) edge bruise to first, otherwise very fine or better (8)
£280-£320 B.E.M. London Gazette 1 July 1941.
Samuel Shaw was born in Liverpool on 17 December 1910, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in March 1926, being promoted Ordinary Seaman aboard the Battleship H.M.S. Valiant on 17 December 1928. By the outbreak of hostilities he was serving as an Able Seaman aboard the Flower-class corvette H.M.S. Clarkia and was awarded his B.E.M. in respect of successful convoy rescue operations in the period 1940-42. Those rescued including 45 crew from the Accra (Western Approaches 1940); 32 from the Vinemoor (Western Approaches 1940); 16 from the Brandanger (off Iceland 1941); five from the Empire Citizen (off Iceland 1941); five from the British Resource (Atlantic Ocean 1942), and 30 from the British Consul (off Trinidad 1942).
Perhaps even more notable, however, was Clarkia’s rescue of seven survivors from U-468 in August 1943, the German submarine having fallen victim to a strike carried out by Flying Officer A. L. Trigg, D.F.C., R.N.Z.A.F., and his fellow Liberator crew. Among the survivors rescued was the captain, whose testimony revealed an encounter which was later described as an ‘epic of grim determination and high courage’ in Trigg’s resultant posthumous V.C. citation.
The Report on Interrogation of Survivors from U-468 had this to say about the encounter: ‘She was surprised on the surface by the aircraft at about 6,500 yards. It being against the captain’s policy to dive with the enemy so near, he elected to fight it out on the surface. U-468’s two single A/A guns were brought to bear so effectively that the attacking aircraft was severely hit. The Liberator nevertheless pressed home an accurate and fatal attack and then plunged into the sea about 300 yards from the U-Boat, with the loss of her entire crew. Only seven men, including the captain and two other officers, survived from the U- Boat. They were rescued two days later from the aircraft's rubber dinghy by H.M.S. Clarkia and eventually arrived in the United Kingdom for interrogation on 10th September.’
Shaw was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in January 1944 at which time he was serving at the Portland establishment Osprey. The relevant roll states that he was later deprived of the award ‘Medal was thrown out of port hole’ but it was evidently restored to him at a later date.
Sold with copied research, including the official ‘U-468 Interrogation of Survivors’ report.
www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable)
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