Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Chief Petty Officer Cook T. Dance, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when serving on H.M.S. Fiji, 23 May 1941

1914-15 Star (M.4489 Ck. Mte., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (M.4489 L. Ck. Mte., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (M.4489 L. Ck., H.M.S. Vampire) very fine (4) £250-300

Thomas Dance was born in Shoreditch on 17 July 1893. He entered the Royal Navy as a 2nd Cooks Mate on H.M.S. Topaz on 4 June 1912. Served as Cooks Mate aboard the battleship Hercules at the battle of Jutland.

Serving as a Chief Petty Officer Cook during the Second World War, he was killed in action on 23 May 1941 when the cruiser H.M.S. Fiji was sunk by Luftwaffe bombers off the Greek island of Antikithera. A total of 17 officers and 224 ratings were lost.

With copied service paper and other research.