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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 867

1914-15 Star (Mid. L. M. S. Thomson, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (S.Lt. L. Mc S. Thomson. R.N.), very fine (3)

Lindsay McClure Slade Thomson was born on 12 February 1897. A Midshipman aboard H.M.S. Juno in August 1914, he transferred to H.M.S. Collingwood on 25 January 1915, becoming an Acting Sub-Lieutenant on 15 July that year. From 11 February 1917 he served as a Sub-Lieutenant aboard H.M.S. Torrent, an R-Class destroyer. Assigned to Harwich Force, Torrent took part in the bombardment of German-held Ostend on 4-5 June 1917. During this action she helped sink the German torpedo boat S15. On 22 December that year, she was part of a Netherlands-bound convoy known as a 'The Beef Run'. At 2 a.m. the next day, the convoy ran into a German minefield off the Hook of Holland. struck a German mine. Two other destroyers, Surprise and Tornado, went back to try and rescue Torrent's crew, but ended up hitting mines themselves. Torrent then struck a second mine and quickly sank. Only the destroyer Radiant remained undamaged, and she returned to pick up survivors. Just three men of Torrent's crew survived, with 68 killed (including Thomson). Thomson is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; sold with copied CWGC Certificate.



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Sold for
£210

Starting price
£100