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Auction: 24111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 675

(x) A Second World War and Korean War group of nine to Lieutenant Commander G. F. D. Dunn, Royal Navy, who survived the sinking of the Manchester and was "mentioned" for his service in the Far East

1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-45 with MID oakleaf; Korea 1950-53 (Lt. Cdr. G. F. D. Dunn. R.N.); United Nations Medal for Korea, court mounted for display, very fine (9)

M.I.D. London Gazette 11 June 1946.

George Frederick Dunham Dunn is seen on the Navy Lists as an Acting Warrant Engineer and given the rank of Warrant Engineer as of 14 May 1940 on Manchester with the note "Accommodated in Dunluce Castle" this being a Hospital Ship. Manchester was laid down in March 1936, and saw service in Malta, Spartivento and the Arctic in 1940. She was involved with the pursuit of Bismarck in May 1941. Torpedoed on a Malta convoy on 23 July 1941 she was repaired in Philadelphia. Upon repair she saw further service in the Mediterranean and was one of a force of cruisers and destroyers under command of Rear-Admiral H. M. Burrough, engaged in escorting a convoy to Malta from 10-12 August 1942. On the 11th, when approaching the Sicilian Channel the ships were subjected to an attack by German dive bombers and torpedo bombers, submarines and torpedo boats. The Eagle, one of a squadron of four aircraft carriers, was hit and sunk on this day. The attack continued throughout the night, the cruiser Cairo being hit by a torpedo from a U-boat which damaged her so badly that she had to be sunk by the British forces. The Manchester was hit and had to be abandoned during the night; she foundered off the Tunisian coast. 28 officers and 375 ratings landed and were interned by the French authorities. A further 3 officers and 142 ratings were picked up by British ships. The Manchester carried a complement of 700.

Dunn then joins Cochrane before seeing service on the aircraft carrier Indomitable from 18 June 1943. This vessel suffers a hit by an Italian torpedo aircraft on 16 July but is involved in the Invasion of Sicily on 9 July 1943. He then joins Vengeance which after a brief spell in the Mediterranean moves to the Far East and served with the British Pacific Fleet based at Hong Kong. Dunn is now Lieutenant (Engineer) and is promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Engineer) on 16 August 1949 and sees service on the cruiser Kenya for the Korean War. Dunn retires on 7 November 1953 on reaching his retirement age; sold together with assorted copied research.

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