Campaign Groups and Pairs 309
Pair: Leading Signalman J. C. Cox, Royal NavyRoyal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Hampshire was sunk off Orkney, 5 June 1916
British War and Victory Medals (231899 J. C. Cox. L. Sig. R.N.) good very fine (2) £140-£180
John Christopher Cox was born in Dublin on 19 May 1887 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 7 September 1904. Advanced Leading Signalman on 6 June 1906, he served during the Great War initially in H.M.S. Minotaur, before joining H.M.S. Hampshire on 8 December 1915, and was killed in action when the Hampshire, conveying Field Marshal Lord Kitchener on a diplomatic mission to Russia, struck a German-mine off Orkney on 5 June 1916 and sank within 15 minutes with the loss of 737 lives. There were only 12 survivors.
Cox is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial 310
Four: Able Seaman L. J. Cornish, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Acasta was sunk in the Norwegian Sea by the German Battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, during Operation Alphabet- the evacuation of Norway, 8 June 1940
British War and Victory Medals (J.40902 L. J. Cornosh. A.B. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, the Great War pair mounted as worn, the Second War medals loose, contact marks to the Great War pair, these nearly very fine; the Second War medals extremely fine (4)
£160-£200
Leslie James Cornish was born in Dorking, Surrey, on 14 June 1899 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 5 June 1915. He served during the Great War in H.M.S. Ganges, Centaur, and Curacoa, and was advanced Able Seaman on 1 July 1918. He was shore discharged on 13 June 1929, and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day. Recalled for War service he served during the Second World War as an Able Seaman in the destroyer H.M.S. Acasta from 23 August 1939, and was killed in action during Operation Alphabet on 8 June 1940.
On 31 May 1940 H.M.S. Glorious sailed from the Clyde to the Norwegian coast to carry out air operations in support of the evacuation of allied forces from Norway in Operation Alphabet. On 8 June she returned to Scapa Flow, escorted by the destroyers H.M.S. Ardent and Acasta. On the way through the Norwegian Sea the funnel smoke from Glorious and her two escorting destroyers was spotted by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at about 3:46 p.m. The German ships were not spotted until shortly after 4:00 and H.M.S. Ardent was dispatched to investigate. H.M.S. Ardent and H.M.S. Acasta laid a protective smokescreen to hide the British ships, and engaged the German ships with their 4.7 inch main armament, which proved to be ineffective. Despite coming under heavy fire from the much larger guns of the Germans, H.M.S. Ardent carried out a torpedo attack. She managed to score a single hit, but was struck repeatedly by enemy shells, and eventually capsized with the loss of 10 officers and 142 ratings.
H.M.S. Acasta was finally sunk after roughly two hours of fighting; the battle flag of the Gneisenau was lowered to half-mast and her crew brought to attention to honour the brave fight of Acasta and her crew.
Meanwhile, the Scharnhorst switched her fire to H.M.S. Glorious at 4:32 p.m. and scored her first hit six minutes later on her third salvo, at an approximate range of 24,000 metres (26,000 yd), when one 11.1 inch shell hit the forward flight deck and burst in the upper hangar, starting a large fire. This hit destroyed two Swordfish being prepared for flight and the hole in the flight deck prevented any other aircraft from taking off. Splinters penetrated a boiler casing and caused a temporary drop in steam pressure. At 4:58 p.m. a second shell hit the homing beacon above the bridge and killed or wounded the captain and most of the personnel stationed there. Glorious was hit again in the centre engine room around 5:20 p.m. and this caused her to lose speed and commence a slow circle to port. She also developed a list to starboard.
The German ships closed to within 15,000 metres (16,000 yd) and continued to fire at her until about 5:40 p.m. Glorious finally sank at around 6:10 p.m. with the loss of 1,207 out of her crew of 1,250. The whole engagement lasted just short of three hours and cost the lives of 1,519 officers and ratings. From Acasta there was just one survivor.
Cornish is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. 311 312 Pair: Private J. E. Davies, Pembroke Yeomanry British War and Victory Medals (4645 Pte. J. E. Davies. Pembroke Yeo.) nearly extremely fine (2) Pair: Private F. W. Bacon, Norfolk Yeomanry
British War and Victory Medals (2628 Pte. F. W. Bacon. Norf. Yeo.) very fine British War Medal 1914-20 (2032 Pte. R. Linnett. Leic. Yeo.) minor edge bruising, very fine (3)
313
Pair: Private A. Mills, 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) British War and Victory Medals (2751 Pte. A. Mills. 2-Co. of Lond. Y.) good very fine (2)
£60-£80 £60-£80
Arthur Mills attested for the the 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) and served with them during the Great War, before transferring to the Royal Lancaster Regiment.
314
Family Group: Pair: Private N. Gosling, Bedfordshire Regiment
British War and Victory Medals (21567 Pte. N. Gosling. Bedf. R.) in named card box of issue, extremely fine
Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, on lady’s bow riband, in card box of issue, with Buckingham Palace Bestowal Document named to ‘Miss Charlotte Gosling’, extremely fine (3)
£60-£80 315
Pair: Captain L. Gray, Essex Regiment, who died in Egypt on 31 July 1917 British War and Victory Medals (Capt. L. Gray) minor edge nicks, very fine (2)
Advanced Captain, he died on 31 July 1917, and is buried in Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
www.dnw.co.uk all lots are illustrated on our website and are subject to buyers’ premium at 24% (+VAT where applicable) £50-£70
Leonard Gray, a native of Chelmsford, Essex, was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Essex Regiment (Territorial Force) and served with the 5th Battalion during the Great War in the Gallipoli theatre of War from 7 May 1915.
£50-£70
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