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Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 218

A good Second World War submariner's group of seven awarded to Engine Room Artificer 1st Class E. R. Fox, Royal Navy, who won a mention in despatches for his services in the Tribune off Norway in 1940 and survived the loss of the Tempest in the Gulf of Taranto in February 1942: Tempest was compelled to surface after a devastating depth charge attack delivered by the Italian Circe , when 23 of her crew were saved

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (M. 24887 E. R. Fox, E.R.A. 1, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue (24887 E. R. Fox, E.R.A. 2, H.M.S. Dolphin), the last polished, nearly very fine, the remainder good very fine or better (7)

Eric Roulstone Fox was born in Stoke, Staffordshire in March 1901 and entered the Royal Navy as a boy rating at the Devonport training establishment Indus in January 1917. He remained similarly based until August 1921, when he was appointed an Engine Room Artificer (E.R.A.) 5th Class.

Having gained advancement to E.R.A. 3 in the interim, he transferred to the Submarine Branch in the summer of 1925 and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in March 1934.

An E.R.A. 1 in the Tribune on the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, Fox participated in nine war patrols off the Norwegian coast in the period leading up to October 1940 and was mentioned in despatches 'for good services in recent patrols' (London Gazette 12 December 1940, refers). Tribune later 'starred' in the propaganda film "Close Quarters" (1943); see http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/555748/index.html

Fox next served in H-28, prior to removing to the newly launched Tempest in October 1941. It was to prove a short-lived appointment, for having arrived in the Mediterranean, Tempest fell victim to the Italian Spica-class torpedo boat Circe in the Gulf of Taranto on 13 February 1942. Sighted on the surface by the Circe, Tempest crash dived but the Italian gunboat's subsequent depth charge attack proved fatal: it burst the submarine's battery tanks and filled her with chlorine gas.

Forced to the surface, Tempest took further punishment from Circe's guns before she was abandoned, and 23 of her complement of 62 were picked up by another Italian ship after three hours in the water: Fox was among them.

Admitted to Taranto Naval Hospital, he was discharged to a P.O.W. camp in early March and thence, on the Italian capitulation, to Stalag 8B in Germany. Following his liberation at the war's end, Fox was released from service in October 1945; sold with copied service record and P.O.W. debrief.



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Sold for
£700