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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 613

'On board Gloucester the situation was desperate. She had received a number of direct hits, which had immobilised the steering and caused a number of fires to break out. Unable to control the ship any longer and with no high angle ammunition left, the only thing the men could do was to assist the wounded and fight the fires before they were eventually ordered to abandon ship.'

HMS Gloucester The Untold Story, refers

The tragic campaign group of three awarded to Leading Seaman H. Dyson, Royal Navy who was killed in the loss of H.M.S. Gloucester during the Fall of Crete

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, sold together with named box of issue and a condolence slip named in pen as per Admiralty style, extremely fine (3)

Harry Dyson was born at Ince, Lancashire on 18 December 1916, the son of Harry and Eliza Dyson of Liverpool. His father was a former Petty Officer in the Royal Navy but Dyson himself appears on the 1939 census as a Laboratory Assistant in Diesel Engineering living in Bolton.

Joining the Royal Navy with the service number F/KX171178 as Leading Seaman he was part of the crew of H.M.S. Gloucester during the fall of Crete. She was part of a force of cruisers which encountered and destroyed a fleet of Greek transports carrying German troops to the Island on 21 May 1941.

The next day two waves of German aircraft swept in to attack the Naval forces around the island. They avoided serious damage in this initial attack but further waves of aircraft arrived and the hammering continued, despite skilful manoeuvring Gloucester's luck couldn't hold out for ever. Cripplingly low on ammunition she was unable to keep staving off the repeated attacks, she was struck hard and halted in her tracks.

The rest of the British force moved on with Fiji ordered to scuttle her, unable to rescue the crew and low on ammunition she did not follow through with the order. Gloucester rolled over and sank with only 85 men from her crew of 807 surviving the destruction.

Dyson was amongst the dead and is commemorated Portsmouth Naval Memorial. His parents had both predeceased him and as such his medals were sent to his Aunt, Alice Brown (nee Dyson) his father's sister; sold together with a copy of HMS Gloucester The Untold Story and copied research.

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Sold for
£90

Starting price
£70