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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 178

(x) The superb campaign group of eight awarded to Sergeant T. H. D. Powell, Royal Marines Commandos, a veteran of the Arctic Convoys who passed selection for the Small Raids Wing, later known as the Special Boat Service and seeing a great deal of service during the Cold War

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Arctic Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (CH/X.3562 T. H. Powell Cpl. R.M.); Russia, Soviet Union, 40 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, mounted with the Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal and sold together with an Arctic Campaign Commemorative Medal the first eight mounted court-style for wear, good very fine (8)

Thomas Harry Dennis Powell was born at Medway, Kent on 2 May 1926, the son of Thomas and Theodora Powell, his father a former Chief Stoker in the Royal Navy. The younger Powell was educated at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook and joined the Royal Marines as Boy Bugler on 25 June 1940 with the Chatham Division.

Second World War Service

His first posting was the cruiser Kent on 2 September 1941, during her refit to an anti-aircraft cruiser at Devonport. This vessel had just been assigned to arctic convoys and Powell was to spend the next year undertaking some of the most perilous journeys in the history of the Royal Navy.

Starting with PQ6 the initial convoy managed to get through with little loss however as German control tightened in Norway and the U-boat war got underway proper casualties began to rise. Convoy PQ 13 saw five British freighters sunk and the cruiser Trinidad seriously damaged along with them.

She escorted PQ 14 to the rendezvous point at Bear Island before joining the reciprocal convoy QP 10 as it was attacked with four merchantmen sunk. Kent's Arctic service reached its zenith when she took part in the particularly brutal PQ 16, the convoy against which the Germans first utilised the Golden Comb tactic. This resulted in losses of seven merchantmen after a series of intense air attacks.

Leaving Kent in August 1942 Powell remained on convoy duty, joining the light cruiser Nigeria in the Mediterranean. Soon assigned to Operation Pedestal, Powell was with her on the night of 12-13 August when she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Axum with the loss of 52 crewmen, a letter from Powell's widow after his death notes that he was at some point wounded in action, this is the most likely moment during the war.

As Nigeria was sent for repairs Powell was moved onto the heavy cruiser Cumberland off Burma. Whilst there she earned the battle honour for Sabang 1944- Operation Cockpit- a carrier raid against the Japanese island of Sabang. Whilst in the East he reached his majority on 2 May 1944 but remained with the rating of Bugler. Transferring to the anti-aircraft cruiser Suffolk, taking part in Operation Millet, an attack on the Nicobar islands, intended to distract the Japanese from the invasion of Leyte.

Post War- Commando

Powell was rated as Marine at the end of the war on 27 October 1945, returning to Britain and taking the Royal Marine Commando course in 1946. Advanced Lance-Corporal on 6 September of that year he was posted to Royal Marine Fortress Unit, 3 Commando Brigade in May 1947. Joining 45 Commando on 2 June 1947 with the rank of Corporal he was to see post-war service in Palestine with this unit along with multiple postings across the Middle-East.

Reverting to the rank of Marine he was posted back to Britain and stationed at the Royal Marine Barrack, Eastney in October 1949, this being the headquarters for the Small-Raids Wing, later known as the Special Boat Service. Here he is confirmed to have taken and passed the S.B.S. course qualifying as a Swimmer-Canoeist and again being promoted Lance-Corporal on 24 October the same year.

Posted to R.A.F. Abingdon in 1951 Powell qualified as a Parachutist there in April 1951 before taking part in Exercise Merry Widow- a part of Exercise Surprise Packet in October. Returning to the Commando School at Eastney in October of that year Powell undertook a Shallow Water Diver course there, being again advanced Corporal in November.

The next year he joined Royal Naval Party Sandstone, undertaking Operation Sandstone the clandestine mapping of the British and Irish coastline. This was undertaken in civilian clothes to avoid any political tension over the ongoing conflicts in Ireland. The intention was to identify suitable landing sites for American forces should a successful Soviet invasion of Europe see Britain and Ireland captured.

Promoted Sergeant on 21 April 1953 Powell returned to No. 45 Commando the next year and saw overseas service with them again. Present in multiple postings he is confirmed to have spent time in the Canal Zone, Tripoli and Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency. In the latter posting he was mentioned in Robin Neillands' book, By Sea And Land, manning checkpoints to catch insurgents and their supporters, the extract states:

'Priests were frequent supporters of the terrorists, but their clerical garb did not always ensure them undisturbed passage, as when a carload of monks arrived at a 45 Commando roadblock set up by Sgt Tom Powell of 'B' Troop.
'Out!' said Tom, 'and quick about it.'

Returning to Eastney one final time in December 1955 he was discharged the next year on 1 May 1956 and retired to Portsmouth. Powell died there on 10 March 1999 and was survived by his wife Margaret 'Mary' Powell née Potts, who wrote a letter containing a potted history of his service which states:

'Re - medals of Thomas H. D. Powell, now in your care, this is a short letter giving some detail of his service in the Royal Marines. He at age 14 left Holbrook and enlisted direct into the Royal Marines passing as a Bugler Drummer and after his training was drafted for 2 to 2½ years commission home/abroad. During this time he served aboard 3 Royal Navy ships (Cruisers) HMS Kent, HMS Nigeria and HMS Cumberland. Was wounded at sea onboard HMS Nigeria and ended up swimming for his life and was again wounded whilst onboard Kent. After the age of 17 years he transferred from Bugler/Drummer to become a trained Royal Marine for a further 12 years - Served in the 45 Commando in North Africa, Palestine and Cyprus fighting the Irgun Zuin and Stern Gang then the EOKA, then returned to UK and volunteered for the SMS, was accepted and worked in combination with submarines and tiny special boats and parachuting into the sea for many active service roles'

Sold together with a large quantity of copied research, correspondence and a copy of By Sea And Land.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£1,200 to £1,600

Starting price
£950