Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 20003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 653

The China Fleet Rifle Meeting bronze prize Badge awarded to Leading Seaman F. H. Downing, Royal Navy, who died of beriberi whilst a Prisoner of War of the Japanese at Palembang, Sumatra on 20 December 1944, having been captured when H.M.S. Fuh Wo was beached and destroyed on Banka Island on 15 February 1942 - during the same frenetic action, Lieutenant W. Wilkinson, CO of Li Wo won a posthumous Victoria Cross

Hong Kong, Royal Navy China Fleet Rifle Meeting prize Badge, 40mm, bronze, reverse engraved 'F. Downing', by Lane, Crawford, Ltd., Hong Kong, good very fine, in slightly damaged fitted case of issue

Frank Howard Downing was born on 31 July 1902 at Plymouth, Devon and entered the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class in December 1917 aboard Impregnable. He joined Royal Oak on 8 November 1918 and was awarded his L.S. & G.C. on 8 October 1935. By the time of the Second World War he had served aboard Repulse in the Far East and was thence Leading Seaman aboard Fuh Wo. The Malayan Volunteer Group gives a good account of her final days:

'Many sources erroneously record that the Fuh Wo was destroyed at or near Singapore to prevent it falling into Japanese hands - in reality, the ship escaped Singapore just prior to the surrender to the Japanese and was beached on the northern shores of Banka Island off the west coast of Sumatra and blown up by its crew.'

That escape is told in HMS Li Wo - the most decorated small ship in the Royal Navy:

'At 0220hrs on Friday the 13th - in the absence of any corresponding signals from Fort Canning the little convoy (Fuh Wo, Li Wo and one other small patrol ship) got underway. The harbour was covered in thick black smoke from the burning shore. The Fuh Wo - although the senior ship in the group had not been supplied with charts of the escape route and Li Wo had to act as a guide as they worked their way through the 10 miles of minefields defending Singapore with only a narrow channel for exit. Soon the Li Wo and the Fuh Wo were on their own - an accompanying minesweeper had been ordered to proceed on a separate course...at 1.30pm, 26 planes attack the two ships which separated in a defensive manoeuvre - after the attack lasting several hours the battered Fuh Wo was in a bay close to a beach. They decided later in the afternoon of 13 February to lie up during daylight and steam under cover of darkness through the narrow, shallow passages of the Rhio archipelago...the ships remained in the shelter of Singkep island that afternoon, with the plan to leave at 0300hrs on 14 February. For some reason they did not leave and were spotted by Jap recce planes about 1000hrs on 14 February whilst still at anchor and bombs soon began to fall around them.'

The crews were not to know when the raised anchor and headed for the Banka Straits, they were about to cross paths with the Japanese invasion fleet headed for Sumatra and Banka. The Li Wo engaged the leading transport ship and was attacked by Yura, Fubuki and Asagiri. She rammed and sank the transport ship but was hit by shells and sunk, with just 11 of the 84-man crew surviving. The destroyers attempted to run over those in the water, who swam to Banka island and made prisoners. Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson, R.N.R., was awarded the Victoria Cross, whilst a D.S.O., C.G.M., 3 D.S.M.s and six mentions were also awarded.

The Fuh Wo was badly damaged in the attacks and was driven ashore by her Captain - Downing included - and destroyed. Quickly attacked by bandits and captured, the crew were taken prisoner and transported to Palembang to endure life as a captive of the Japenese. Downing died of beriberi on 20 December 1944 and was originally buried at Pelmbang (grave 3.D.8.) but was later reinterred in the Jakarta War Cemetery.

The annual China Fleet Rifle Meetings were one of the highlights of the annual calendar in Hong Kong and on the Far East China Station, their prize badge being struck by the foremost jeweller and silversmith, Lane Crawford.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£120

Starting price
£80