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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 394

A Second World War campaign group of five awarded to Stoker Petty Officer T. A. Roberts, Royal Navy, who was present in H.M.S. Dorsetshire during her clash with the mighty Bismarck in May 1941

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (K. 61604 T. A. Roberts, A./S.P.O., H.M.S. Diamond), minor official correction to ship on the last, good very fine (6)

Thomas Andrew Roberts was born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire on 24 November 1903 and entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in July 1923.

Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in August 1938, he was serving as a Stoker Petty Officer in the cruiser H.M.S. Dorsetshire on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939 and remained likewise employed until June 1941. He was consequently present at her close encounter with the Bismarck in the previous month.

Sink the "Bismarck"!

In late May 1941, Dorsetshire was one of the ships deployed to locate the Bismarck in the North Atlantic. She had been escorting a convoy to Sierra Leone when, on the 26th, she received orders to leave the convoy and join the hunt; she was then 360 miles south of the Bismarck's position. Steaming at top speed in heavy seas, Dorsetshire reached the destroyer Cossack at 0833 hours, just after the latter had a fought in a night action against Bismarck; gun flashes could be seen only six miles away.

Shortly afterwards, Dorsetshire participated in the final action that led to Bismarck's demise. Closing to 20,000 yards range, she fired over 250 shells from her main battery, prior to closing in on her adversary to deliver a torpedo attack: two of them found their mark and Bismarck sank rapidly at about 1040 hours.

Dorsetshire and the destroyer Maori were then ordered to stand by and pick up survivors, an exercise that had to be curtailed on receipt of intelligence reports of U-Boats operating in the area. In the interim, amidst harrowing scenes, Dorsetshire picked up 85 Germans and Maori 25, these the sole survivors of Bismarck's original complement of some 2,000 officers and ratings.

Subsequent career

Having come ashore to Drake following the Bismarck action, Roberts returned to sea in the destroyer Bradford in August 1941. However, as verified by his service record, he was invalided ashore in September 1943.


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Sold for
£450

Starting price
£160