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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 431

The Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. Medal awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer J. E. G. Cornford, Royal Navy, who survived the loss of the destroyer H.M.S. Greyhound to enemy aircraft off Crete in May 1941

He had earlier seen service off Dunkirk and would also survive the mining of the destroyer Fury off Normandy in June 1944

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue (M. 39534 J. E. G. Cornford, A./C.E.R.A., H.M.S. Greyhound), good very fine


Jack Edward George Cornford was born in Shoreham, Sussex on 30 July1904 and entered the Royal Navy as an Acting Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class in September 1925.

In May 1939, he joined the destroyer H.M.S. Greyhound and he remained similarly employed up until her loss to enemy aircraft off Crete in May 1941. In the interim, Cornford and his shipmates witnessed extensive action, off Norway and France - Greyhound evacuated 1360 men from Dunkirk at the end of May 1940, when she was damaged by enemy bombers - and was present at the battles of Dakar and Cape Spartivento later in the same year.

In early 1941, having transferred to the Mediterranean, Greyhound sank the Italian submarines Neghelli and Anfitrite, but she in turn became the victim of enemy aircraft off Crete on 22 May. On that date, whilst making her way to the Kythira Strait, she was attacked by Stukas, hit by three bombs and sank in matter of minutes. Her survivors - Cornford among them - were picked up by the destroyers Kingston and Kipling, but six of her officers and 74 ratings were killed in the attack.

Cornford's subsequent wartime appointments included the minesweeper Bagshot (May 1941-August 1942) and the destroyer Fury (January 1943-June 1944). During his time aboard Fury, he was present at the Sicily and Salerno landings, in addition to acting in support of "Juno" on D-Day. Just over a fortnight later, Fury was mined and beached at Arromanches.

Cornford, who was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in October 1940, was invalided ashore in October 1947.

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Sold for
£150

Starting price
£40