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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 467

(x) The Naval General Service Medal awarded to Marine W. F. Lee, Royal Marines, who was killed in action aboard HMLCG (M) 102 during Operation 'Infatuate' - the assault on Walcheren, 1 November 1944

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-39 (CH.X.615 W. F. Lee. Mne. R.M.), traces of lacquer, good very fine

William Frederick Lee was born at Portsea on 4 January 1912 and was killed in action on 1 November 1944. The online source WartimeNI gives further details on the action:

'Support Squadron Eastern Flank (SSEF) Force set sail from the south of England on 27th October 1944. The force consisted of 6 large Landing Craft Guns, 2 medium Landing Craft Guns, 6 Landing Craft Flaks, 6 Landing Craft Supports, and 5 rocket craft. This flotilla of 25 vessels sailed with a small fleet of other ships including Landing Craft Infantry and Landing Craft Tank. The first destination was Oostende, Belgium.

At 0325hrs on 1st November 1944, SSEF Force left Oostende. The fleet brought Royal Marine Commandos, second wave troops, and amphibious vehicles into battle. In the early hours of the morning, Westkapelle came under attack as part of Operation Infatuate. The aim was to secure the port of Antwerp for Allied use as a supply route through Europe.

The Allied attack came at 0915hrs in broad daylight. The weather conditions were poor with visibility reduced. A support squadron and spotter planes from the Royal Air Force could not take to the air. Off the coast, HMS Warspite, HMS Erebus, and HMS Roberts fired towards Nazi gun emplacements. The fog was so thick, they could not see the results. The plan was for the SSEF Force to split into two equal groups. One would go north of the gap and the other would head south. The 2 largest Landing Craft Guns engaged the Westkapelle Battery as the German guns returned heavy fire.

The vessels drew heavy fire from the Nazi batteries. They returned fire from four 7" guns as the Landing Craft Tanks unleashed 6" rockets. Each of the 4 LCTs had 1080 such rockets capable of causing severe damage. Enemy fire intensified as the landing craft carrying the Royal Marine commandos made their way closer to the dyke. Soon, the two large Landing Craft Guns engaged the batteries at almost point blank range.

HMLCG (M) 102 beached to the south of the dyke, continuing to engage an enemy pillbox with its 3" guns. German guns returned a hail of shells, setting the craft on fire. The LCG broke up and burned out on the beach. There were no survivors.'

Lee is commemorated upon the Chatham Naval Memorial. His effects totalled £390, which were left to his wife, Mary Emma Lee, at 25 MacDonald Road, Gillingham.

See https://wartimeni.com/person/robert-greer/

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£300

Starting price
£130