Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Lot 2346    SESSION 14 (2.30PM THURSDAY 28TH NOVEMBER)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - British Groups

Estimate $600
Bid at live.noble.com.au

GROUP OF SIX: British War Medal 1914-19; Victory Medal 1914-19; Royal Naval Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, (GVR coinage profile); Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; 1939-45 Star. J.38014 W.D.Howes. A.B. R.N. on first two medals, J.38014 W.D.Howes. L.S. H.M.S.Voyager on third medal, last three medals unnamed as issued. The named medals impressed. Swing mounted, out of order, first three medals with contact marks, otherwise fine - extremely fine.

William Douglas Howes, joiner, born 03Apr1899 at Portsmouth, Hampshire, England; Enl.30Apr1915 as Boy II and to Devonport Depot Ship HMS Impregnable; to Boy I 19Jul1915; to Torpedo Depot HMS Defiance 23Oct1915; to HMS Vivid I Devonport Depot 24Dec1915; to Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Orcoma 22Feb1916 and ops in North Atlantic; to Ord Seaman 03Mar1917; to HMS Victory I 27Mar1917; to Destroyer HMS Sable 05Jun1917 and ops in North Sea where ship was accidentally rammed; to Able Seaman 09Aug1917; to Torpedo School HMS Vernon 01Feb1919; to Light Cruiser HMS Dido 18Oct1919; awarded Good Conduct Badge 02Apr1920; to Battleship HMS Barham 01May1920; to HMS Victory I 04Jan1923; to HMS Vernon 10Nov1923; to HMS Victory I 01Mar1924; to Sloop HMS Lupin 14Jul1924; awarded Good Conduct Badge 03Apr1925; to HMS Vernon 01Jan1927; to Destroyer HMS Westminster 03Jan1928; to HMS Victory II 01Jun1928; records transferred 09Apr1929 as Acting Leading Seaman; awarded Long Service Medal while posted to HMS Voyager; Enl.04Apr1939 for Home Service in WWII; Died 02Apr1985.
Medals named to HMS Voyager are scarce as this ship was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy with it being one of four ships commissioned at Portsmouth on 11 October 1933 to become HMAS Voyager and be one of four ships to form the Australian Destroyer Flotilla nicknamed the 'Scrap Iron Flotilla'. Her service came to an end when she ran aground at Betano Bay in East Timor on 23 September 1942. The following day Japanese bombers attacked the ship and the ship's crew exploded demolition charges on board and then set fire to her before abandoning ship and the crew were shortly after evacuated to Darwin by HMAS Warrnambool.
With research by Mostly Unsung and other research and a b&w photo of the Voyager in October 1933.