Medals and Militaria, World War Two, Royal Navy, Arctic Conv...

Hammer

£280

Medals and Militaria, World War Two, Royal Navy, Arctic Convoy and Evacuation of Dunkirk Crew Member, Stoker (1st Class) Ben Marriott, group of six medals, comprising 1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star with North Africa 1942-43 clasp, Italy Star, War Medal, Defence Medal and Russian Arctic Convoy Medal, ribbons en suite, one O.H.M.S. postage box en suite addressed to: Mr B Marriott, 2/4 Hollinsend Road, Intake, Sheffield; the life belt which saved his life following the sinking of HMS Greyhound, off the coast of Crete, in 1941; Stoker Marriott's tropical white ratings/uniform, 3 spares and cloth ranking; his album of wartime b/w photographs, including images of active service on deck, various depth charges - presumably against German Kriegsmarine U-Boats, soldier's parachuting from aeroplanes - presumably a landing or invasion force, some relaxed scenes of his comrades in arms and studio portraits, etc; Marriott's Book of Common Prayer, New Testament, Hymns and Prayers, My Faith and Royal Navy: Methodist Church Membership card; documents and ephemera relating to his service with the Royal Navy during World War Two; further newspaper clippings and ephemera relating to Marriott's life back in Sheffield after 1945, [archive collection] 'Ben [Marriott] took part in many battles, patrols and convoys in Martinique, Egypt, the Atlantic, Norway and the Mediterranean. His ship [the destroyer HMS Greyhound] also rescued more than 1,300 men from Dunkirk and many other survivors from various ships, until in 1941 the Greyhound itself was bombed and sank off the island of Crete. Ben, being unable to swim, was kept afloat in the water by his lifebelt, which in those days was just a broad belt [included in this lot], not the life-jacket we know of today. He was 21 years old and [...] even though his ship had sunk, the survivors were still being bombed and shot at in the water. One of the lucky few to survive, he was picked up by HMS Kandahar and taken ashore. Not long after he was transferred to HMS Zetland, taking relief supplies to Malta and escorting gunships to Gibraltar, where they would undergo sustained air attacks. From there his ship provided naval gunfire support during landings at Algiers [maybe those illustrated in the album in this lot] and was then deployed for the escort of North African coastal convoys. In 1943 the Zetland sustained major damage during an raid in Italy and was taken in for repair. After this the ship continued with patrols, convoys and battles in the Mediterranean, Aegean, Adriatic and South of France [...] After war was over [Ben came home] [a]t the age of 26 he had been through and seen more than any young man should have to [...]'.