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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 284

A well-documented Second World War campaign group of four awarded to Ordinary Seaman G. R. Eagles, Royal Navy

A veteran of numerous Atlantic convoys and the Normandy landings, he was present aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Sussex at the signing of the Japanese surrender of Singapore in September 1945

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45, good very fine (4)

George Redvers Eagles was born at Burslem, Staffordshire on 6 November 1924 and entered the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in January 1943.

Posted to Eaglet at Liverpool in July of the same year, he joined the sloop H.M.S. Deveron, and, excepting the period February to April 1944, remained similarly employed until coming ashore to the Ceylon base Lanka in October 1944.

During that period, Deveron served as an escort on at least a dozen Atlantic convoys, in addition to being present at the Normandy landings.

Eagles next joined the cruiser Sussex in the late summer of 1945, in which capacity he was present at the signing of the Japanese surrender of Singapore. Gordon Holman's The King's Cruisers, takes up the story:

'On 4 September 1945, the Sussex anchored off Singapore as flagship of Rear-Admiral C. S. Holland, C.B. Using the international code, the Sussex made contact with a Japanese ship bringing the enemy representatives to sign the terms of the agreement for the reoccupation of Singapore.

The Japanese vessel was ordered to fly a large white flag, and was not permitted to have either ammunition or explosives on board. She was further instructed to remove the breech-blocks of all guns, an no Japanese ship was allowed to be within 10 miles of the rendezvous.

On board the Sussex was Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Christison, as the representative of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, C.-in-C. South-East Asia Command. Shortly before 6 o'clock in the evening, the Japanese representatives, the chief of whom were General Itagaki and Vice-Admiral Fukudome, came alongside the British cruiser in one of Sussex's boats.

They brought with them charts and maps, and information which they failed to supply to out naval commander at Penang and about which they had received fresh and strict orders. These they handed over and by five minutes past six they had signed the agreement which returned Singapore to British control.'

Eagles departed Sussex in May 1946 and was released 'Class A' on his return to the U.K.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation and photographs, comprising:

(i)
The recipient's parchment Certificate of Service, together with his Gunnery History Sheet.

(ii)
An illuminated H.M.S. Sussex certificate for crossing the Equator, dated 27 September 1945

(iii)
An impressive array of some 40 wartime photographs, including scenes from Burma and the Japanese surrender at Singapore, in addition to images of the lasting impression left by a suicide aircraft that hit Sussex head-on, just above her waterline.

(iv)
A small canvas bag, with zip, with inscribed initials 'G. R. E.' above a naval anchor.



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Sold for
£130

Starting price
£70