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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 601

A tragic loss of H.M.S. Firedrake father and son's collection

The sinking H.M.S. Firedrake group of four awarded to Stoker Class I L. G. James, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, sold together with a named and addressed box of issue, good very fine (4)

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (279009 Herbert. James, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Diamond.), polished, minor contact marks, edge bruise, nearly very fine

Leslie Geoffrey James served with H.M.S. Firedrake during the Second World War. An F-Class destroyer, she took part in the Norwegian campaign before seeing out the rest of her service between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. She took part in Operation Collar, a convoy run to Malta, as part of Force H in 1940 before participating in Operation Result, the bombardment of Genoa.

Firedrake was part of Escort Group B7 by 1942 and formed part of the reinforcement for convoy ON 144 on 18 November. Later joining the escort for Convoy ON 153 in December they fell under the sights of German U-Boats on the night of 16 December.

U-211 spotted the destroyer and fired a torpedo that struck Firedrake to starboard, abreast of the forward boiler room. The resulting explosion tore the ship in two, despite this she did not sink immediately and a desperate battle ensued to keep her afloat. Only some 35 men remained alive but they sealed the bulkheads, jettisoned the depth charges and began to fire star flares to attract attention.

Fortunately for these men the corvette Sunflower found them in time. Most of the survivors were taken off but despite this some 140 died in the attack, including James. He is commemorated upon Chatham Naval Memorial; sold together with a copied Commonwealth War Graves certificate.

Herbert James was born at Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex on 12 December 1875 and worked as a Groom prior to enlisting with the Royal Navy on 26 November 1897.

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Sold for
£100

Starting price
£100