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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 155

Seven: Stoker Petty Officer H. Nixon, Royal Navy, late Private, East Yorkshire Regiment, who was aboard King George V for the sinking of the Bismarck

British War and Victory Medals (30370 Pte. H. Nixon. E. York. R.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (K.59798 H. Nixon. Sto. 1, H.M.S. Vernon.), mounted as worn, nearly very fine (7)

Harold Nixon was born at Loughborough on 9 April 1899 and during the Great War served in France with the 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, being severely wounded in the left thigh in April 1918.

Recovered from his wounds, Nixon joined the Royal Navy on 29 May 1919. He served off the coast of Palestine (Medal and clasp) and, having been awarded his L.S. & G.C. in August 1932 from 12 January 1940 served at the Coastal Forces base Skirmisher until 28 June 1940. Nixon thence served aboard King George V (from 1 October 1940) and was invalided from the Royal Navy on 16 November 1943. During this period he would have shared in the transit of Lord Halifax to Annapolis; provided cover fire for the raids on the Lofoten Islands; and also engaged the Bismarck on 27 May 1941.

At 0914hrs King George V, at 12,000 yards, had opened fire with her 5.25-inch guns, and Rodney had moved to 8,500–9,000 yards. At 0927hrs a shell hit Bismarck, penetrated the hydraulic machinery in turret 'Anton', and disabled it, which caused the guns to run down to maximum depression. Her topsides were wrecked, and a large fire burned amidships. After firing steadily for over 30 minutes without any problems, King George V began having trouble with her main battery, and from that point onward every gun missed at least one salvo due to failures in the safety interlocks for antiflash protection and from ammunition feed jams. At 1021hrs, with Bismarck silenced and obviously sinking, Admiral Tovey detailed the cruiser Dorsetshire to deliver the coup de grace with torpedoes. King George V fired 339 x 14in. and over 700 5.25in. shells during the action.

Sold together with an H.M.S. Resolution bronze Medal, engraved to the recipient.

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Sold for
£450

Starting price
£170