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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 430

The Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. Medal awarded to Supply Petty Officer E. W. Higham, Royal Navy

Prior to joining the strength of the Fleet Air Arm, he survived the loss of the cruiser H.M.S. Calypso off Crete in June 1940, when she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Alpino Bagnolini

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (MX. 47888 E. W. Higham, Sto. C.P.O., H.M.S. Fieldfare), good very fine

Eric William Higham was born at Gillingham, Kent on 24 April 1914 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in September 1929.

Soon after the outbreak of the hostilities she joined the cruiser H.M.S. Calypso, in which ship he gained Petty Officer status in January 1940.

Ordered to Alexandria, Calypso became the first Royal Navy ship to fall victim to the Regia Marina, just two days after Italy's declaration of war on Great Britain. Whilst engaged on an anti-shipping patrol on 12 June 1940, she was struck by a torpedo from the Alpino Bagnolini, some 50 miles south of Cape Lithion, in Crete and sank at 0059 hours. Thirty-nine of her ship's complement perished in the attack and the remainder - Higham among them - were picked up by the destroyer Dainty.

He later transferred to the Fleet Air Arm and his subsequent wartime appointments included Grebe at Dekheila. Having then be awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in August 1947, Higham was pensioned ashore in April 1954.

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Sold for
£90

Starting price
£40