Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 947

The attributed 'Siege of Malta - mine clearance' G.M., D.S.M. group of 11 miniature dress medals worn by Lieutenant C. R. Le Bargy, Royal Navy

George Medal, G.VI.R.; Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R.; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Naval General Service Medal 1915-62, no clasp; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., mounted as worn, good very fine (11)

Provenance:
Dominic Winter November 2013, when sold by order of the family.

[G.M.] London Gazette 12 June 1942.

[D.S.O.] London Gazette 15 August 1941.

Charles Reginald Le Bargy was born at Guernsey on 1 September 1893 and enlisted with the Royal Navy as Boy Class II on 8 September 1909. Reaching maturity with H.M.S. Achilles on 1 September 1911, he saw service with a number of vessels prior to the outbreak of the Great War including Vindictive and Latona. Seeing Great War service Le Bargy ended the war with the w-class destroyer Woolston as Petty Officer.

Serving aboard Collingwood, Malaya and Effingham after the end of the war he was promoted Chief Petty Officer with the latter on 2 June 1928. He was shore pensioned from Victory I on 31 August 1933 however as war loomed Le Bargy returned to service on 25 January 1938. Posted to St. Angelo, the Malta shore base, on 14 April 1939 he served with an R.M.S. unit clearing mines.

With the Island besieged by German and Italian forces Le Bargy was kept busy alongside his superior Lieutenant-Commander W. E. Hiscock. They were called into action in September 1941 when an Italian mine was dropped into St. George’s Bay, the mine proved to be booby trapped and in attempting to defuse it they triggered a countdown. In spite of the appalling danger, both men stuck to their task and managed to defuse the device before it exploded, earning the award of the George Cross for Hiscock and the George Medal for Le Bargy.

Posted back to Britian in 1943 Le Bargy was commissioned Lieutenant before leaving the Royal Navy on 25 December 1947. Le Bargy retired to St. Sampson, Guernsey, he died on 2 October 1980; sold together with copied auction listings, census data and service papers as well as correspondence between the Le Bargy family and the Guernsey Museum as well as an original named H.M.S. Nelson nametag.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£350

Starting price
£110