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Auction: 6017 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 123

The Extremely Rare ´Dunkirk Evacuation´ D.S.C., Carnegie Medal Group of Thirteen to Belgian National G. Ragaert, Skipper of the Lydie Suzanne, Later Leading Seaman, Section Belge, Royal Navy Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., dated ´1940´ (Hallmarks for London 1940), reverse engraved ´Georges Francois Ragaert Master, LT/SB/JX´; 1939-1945 Star; Atlantic Star, with France and Germany Bar; War Medal; Belgium, Order of Leopold II, 5th Class breast Badge, silver and enamel, minor enamel damage; France, Croix de Guerre, 1939-45, with bronze star; Belgium, Croix de Guerre, 1941, with crossed anchors; Medal for Volunteers, 1940-45, with Pugnator Bar; War Medal 1940-45; Maritime Medal 1940-45, with crossed anchors; Civil Decoration For Acts of Courage Medal, 1st class, gilt; Carnegie Hero Fund Medal, bronze (small issue for wear), unnamed, good very fine, unless stated, mounted as originally worn, with Carnegie Hero Fund Medal, 65mm, bronze, exergue engraved ´Ragaert Georges´, with portrait photograph, newspaper cuttings, letter from Admiralty, dated 18.11.1941, confirming the King´s approval for the recipient to be awarded the D.S.C. in conjunction with the withdrawal from Dunkirk, and all of the above Belgian and French awards with their original certificates including: - bestowal document for the Order of Leopold, 2nd class, named to Patron G. Ragaert, dated 20.7.1946 - the same for French Croix de Guerre, with bronze star named to the recipient, ´for the courageous transport of troops from Dunkirk in 1940´, dated 14.5.1952 - the same for the Belgian Croix de Guerre, named to the recipient, dated 21.7.1942 Estimate £ 3,000-3,500D.S.C. not gazetted as awarded to a Belgian national, this was not an uncommon practice given that often the recipient of such an award may have had family still residing in German occupied territory. The investiture was 14.4.1942, and was personally awarded to the recipient by King George VI. The approval for the award states, ´The King has been graciously pleased to approve the Award of the Distinguished Service Cross for good services in the withdrawal from Dunkirk to M. Georges Francois Ragaert, then Master of M.V.Z.50, Lydie Zuzanne (sic.)´. George Francois Ragaert, D.S.C., was the skipper of the Belgian fishing vessel Lydie Suzanne (26 tons, built 1936). In November 1939 the Belgian Trawler B4 hit an underwater object off Blankenburg, Belgium. The Lydie Suzanne, under Ragaert´s command, rescued her stricken crew in the five minute period before she sank. For his gallant action he was awarded the Carnegie Hero (Belgian) Fund Medal. At the end of May 1940 the Lydie Suzanne carried Belgian refugees to England, before subsequently embarking on four trips to Dunkirk. On the 30th of May she was estimated to have transported 1,000 troops from the beaches to larger vessels. On the next day she landed 105 men at Ramsgate, 98 on the 2nd of June and a further 10 on the 3rd. (The Ships That Saved An Army, R. Plummer, refers). After Dunkirk, Ragaert´s ship was blown up at Le Havre. He fled to England and joined the Section Belge of the Royal Navy as an Acting Leading Seaman (LT/SB/JX.62) serving in H.M.S. Sheldon. The Section Belge consisted of volunteers mainly from the Belgian fishing fleet and cross Channel steamers, that had fled German occupied Belgium to enlist in the Royal Navy. The new Belgian units consisted of minesweepers and corvettes.

Sold for
£5,200