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WW2 Royal Navy HMS Nelson “Malta Convoys” Long Service Medal Group
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Description
WW2 Royal Navy HMS Nelson “Malta Convoys” Long Service Medal Group, consisting of 1939-45 star, Atlantic star, Africa star, 1939-45 War medal and George VI Naval Long Service Good Conduct medal “K. 63799 E. E. SHEARMAN. L.STO. H.M.S NELSON”. The medals are accompanied by a selection of black and white photographs, many with hand annotations on the reverses, many taken on board HMS Nelson during the Malta convoys. Edward Emanuel Shearman was awarded his naval Long Service medal whilst serving on HMS Nelson, in April 1939. It would appear that he continued to serve on the ship during the war and its time during the Malta convoys. HMS Nelson was almost sunk on one of the convoys. Woodman’s History of the Malta Convoys gives the following details about the incident, “This intense action lasted less than half an hour, then there was a brief respite until a second wave of about seven Fiat BR20s was seen approaching very low from the east at 13.27. These divided, coming in on the starboard bow and starboard beam of the convoy, three of them penetrating the barrage to attack Nelson. Captain Troubridge swung the battleship to comb the anticipated torpedo tracks as one Italian aeroplane flew down Nelson’s starboard side, to be cut into three pieces by pom-pom shells. But another Italian aeroplane let her torpedo go right ahead, at 400 yards distance. ‘The chances of a hit seemed remote,’ Somerville later wrote to Cunningham, ‘until the bloody bubbles appeared about 120 yards ahead ... coming stright for us. Possibly helm hard over keeping her swinging to starboard might have let us take it on the bulge but I doubt it. Anyhow there was always the danger of a hit right aft which would have been far worse.’ The aircraft flew low over Nelson, only to be shot down by the combined fire of the ships astern. The battleship had been hit on the port bow and her speed rapidly dropped to 18 knots as water poured into her forward hull and she settled by the head. The full extent of the damage was not of course known until later, but it proved serious.” Following another attack by some SM79s, and now with 3500 tons of water in her damaged hull, HMS Nelson was escorted back to Gibraltar by three destroyers. By the summer of 1942, HMS Nelson was ready to return to the Malta run as flagship of Vice-Admiral Syfret’s Force Z, a role that saw her participating in the famous “Pedestal” operation. The convoy sailed from Scotland, reaching the Straits of Gibraltar on 10 August 1942, at which stage the enemy’s attention became constant, the U-Boats’ first victim being the aircraft carrier Eagle, and between then and the conclusion of the convoy, the Naval escort lost two cruisers and one destroyer sunk, in addition to many other ships sustaining considerable damage, another aircraft carrier and cruiser among them; of the 14 merchantmen, nine were sunk and three others severely damaged, many of these, of course, as a result of enemy air attacks. The main Naval escort, including the Nelson, could not be risked beyond the Skerki Channel, but covered 950 miles of the total distance of 1150 miles to Malta from Gibraltar, and throughout Syfret’s flagship put up constant and spectacular anti-aircraft barrages amidst frequent near misses that rocked her mighty keel.
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WW2 Royal Navy HMS Nelson “Malta Convoys” Long Service Medal Group, consisting of 1939-45 star, Atlantic star, Africa star, 1939-45 War medal and George VI Naval Long Service Good Conduct medal “K. 63799 E. E. SHEARMAN. L.STO. H.M.S NELSON”. The medals are accompanied by a selection of black and white photographs, many with hand annotations on the reverses, many taken on board HMS Nelson during the Malta convoys. Edward Emanuel Shearman was awarded his naval Long Service medal whilst serving on HMS Nelson, in April 1939. It would appear that he continued to serve on the ship during the war and its time during the Malta convoys. HMS Nelson was almost sunk on one of the convoys. Woodman’s History of the Malta Convoys gives the following details about the incident, “This intense action lasted less than half an hour, then there was a brief respite until a second wave of about seven Fiat BR20s was seen approaching very low from the east at 13.27. These divided, coming in on the starboard bow and starboard beam of the convoy, three of them penetrating the barrage to attack Nelson. Captain Troubridge swung the battleship to comb the anticipated torpedo tracks as one Italian aeroplane flew down Nelson’s starboard side, to be cut into three pieces by pom-pom shells. But another Italian aeroplane let her torpedo go right ahead, at 400 yards distance. ‘The chances of a hit seemed remote,’ Somerville later wrote to Cunningham, ‘until the bloody bubbles appeared about 120 yards ahead ... coming stright for us. Possibly helm hard over keeping her swinging to starboard might have let us take it on the bulge but I doubt it. Anyhow there was always the danger of a hit right aft which would have been far worse.’ The aircraft flew low over Nelson, only to be shot down by the combined fire of the ships astern. The battleship had been hit on the port bow and her speed rapidly dropped to 18 knots as water poured into her forward hull and she settled by the head. The full extent of the damage was not of course known until later, but it proved serious.” Following another attack by some SM79s, and now with 3500 tons of water in her damaged hull, HMS Nelson was escorted back to Gibraltar by three destroyers. By the summer of 1942, HMS Nelson was ready to return to the Malta run as flagship of Vice-Admiral Syfret’s Force Z, a role that saw her participating in the famous “Pedestal” operation. The convoy sailed from Scotland, reaching the Straits of Gibraltar on 10 August 1942, at which stage the enemy’s attention became constant, the U-Boats’ first victim being the aircraft carrier Eagle, and between then and the conclusion of the convoy, the Naval escort lost two cruisers and one destroyer sunk, in addition to many other ships sustaining considerable damage, another aircraft carrier and cruiser among them; of the 14 merchantmen, nine were sunk and three others severely damaged, many of these, of course, as a result of enemy air attacks. The main Naval escort, including the Nelson, could not be risked beyond the Skerki Channel, but covered 950 miles of the total distance of 1150 miles to Malta from Gibraltar, and throughout Syfret’s flagship put up constant and spectacular anti-aircraft barrages amidst frequent near misses that rocked her mighty keel.
Two Day Fine Militaria Auction
Sale Date(s)
Lots: 1-316
Lots: 317 -639
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High House Lane
Kenardington
Kent
TN26 2LF
United Kingdom
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If you are successful in an auction with an absentee, telephone or internet bid, you will be invoiced, normally within 48 hours of the auction taking place. This invoice will normally include a shipping quote. These invoices are sent via email and have an attachment. Once you have had this invoice we require full payment within 7 days, unless another arrangement has been made with the auction house. Items must be collected from C&T Auctioneers and Valuers within 7 days of payment being made, unless agreement is in place with C&T Auctioneers and Valuers.
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C&T Auctioneers and Valuers offer an in house postal service for this auction, unless stated. However if an item(s) are too large or need specialist shipping methods, this will be conducted by a third party firm.This also relates to lots of a certain value.
C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are not responsible for any damage caused when items are in transit with postal or courier firms. We are also not responsible for any package sent either by ourselves or any third party company which is lost in transit.
PLEASE READ OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW BEFORE BIDDING THANK YOU
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When participating in an auction conducted by C&T Auctioneers and Valuers you are bound by these conditions without exception. All public auctions held by C&T Auctioneers and Valuers are exempt from the Sale of Goods Act. Please make sure that you agree and understand these conditions.
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