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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 763

The Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. Medal awarded to Petty Officer R. A. Salmon, who survived the loss of the cruiser H.M.S. Hermione on the Malta run in June 1942

He had earlier participated in Operations "Substance" and "Halberd"

Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J. 114770 R. A. Salmon, L.S., H.M.S. Assegai), good very fine

Ronald Arthur Salmon was born in Clapham, London on 15 July 1909, the son of a Constable in the Metropolitan Police, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in August 1925.

Having attended the torpedo training establishment Defiance in the opening months of the war, Salmon joined the recently launched light cruiser H.M.S. Hermione in March 1941, and he remained likewise employed - as a Leading Seaman - up until her loss in the Mediterranean in June 1942.

Mediterranean - the Malta run

Her 'working up' period completed by May 1941, Hermione joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet - as part of Force 'H' - and was quickly deployed in escorting the carriers Ark Royal and Furious, bound from Gibraltar to Malta, laden with fighters bound for the beleaguered island.

In July, Hermione operated as cover for Ark Royal - and the battleship Nelson and cruiser Renown - during an attack on the enemy airfield Aghero, Sardinia. Later in the same month, she participated in the famous Malta convoy, Operation "Substance", in the course of which she went to the rescue of a merchantman and the destroyer Nestor, both under sustained enemy attack; her gunners shot down two enemy aircraft.

On 2 August 1941, the Italian submarine Tembien was spotted by one of the Ark Royal's aircraft between Pantelleria and Malta. Hermione manoeuvred to ram her, and did so in spectacular fashion at 28 knots, cutting her in two. There were no survivors.

In September, Hermione again escorted the Ark Royal, enabling aircraft to be flown off for the defence of Malta, in addition to participating in another well-known Malta convoy, Operation "Halberd".

In March 1942, following the loss of Ark Royal, a renewed attempt was made to fly off aircraft to Malta, this time from the carriers Argus and Eagle but, due to adverse weather conditions, they had to call off the attempt. Later in the month the operation was repeated, and 16 Spitfires reached Malta under the watchful eye of Hermione; she retired to Simonstown, South Africa, for repairs.

Operation "Vigorous": Loss of the H.M.S. Hermione

Back on the Mediterranean station by the summer of 1942, Hermione was allocated to Force 'A' and, in the middle of June, participated in the hotly contested Malta convoy Operation "Vigorous". Having expended most of her ammunition in consequence of protracted enemy aircraft attack on the 14th, she withdrew, under escort, to Alexandria.

At 23.20 hours on the 15th, U-205 spotted a group of warships north of Sollum and attacked two destroyers with one torpedo each at 23.38 and 23.40 hours, but missed. Only then did Reschke - the U-Boats's commander - recognize one of the 'shadows' as a cruiser and fired a spread of three torpedoes at 0019 hours on the 16th, hitting Hermione on the starboard side.

The ship immediately settled by the stern with a list of 22° and then completely turned over on one side, remaining afloat for 21 minutes before sinking. Eight officers and 80 ratings were lost and the survivors were picked up by escorting destroyers and landed at Alexandria.

Postscript

Awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in June 1943 - and having been promoted Petty Officer - Salmon returned to sea in the escort carrier Arbitter in the period December 1943 to November 1944.

He was finally pensioned ashore in the summer of 1949 and later served as a policeman in the Admiralty Constabulary. And he died in Plymouth in May 1984.

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Sold for
£140

Starting price
£60