Three: Petty Officer Stoker T. A. Smith, Royal Navy, who was killed in action in H.M.S. Sphinx in February 1940

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, in their original addressed card forwarding box, the side inscribed, ‘DNA Wills’ and ‘617/1940’, together with related Admiralty condolence slip in the name of ‘Thomas Andrew Smith’, and related football prize medals (2), extremely fine (5) £80-100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of the late Eric Smith.

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Thomas Andrew Smith was killed in action in the minesweeper H.M.S. Sphinx on 4 February 1940, on which date his ship was badly damaged by air attack 15 miles north of Kinnaird Head, Moray Firth - the ship foundered with the loss of 40 lives on the following day. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial; the above described card forwarding box is addressed to the recipient’s widow, ‘Mrs. I. Smith, 118 Ardan Street, Gillingham, Kent’.

Smith, who was born in Loughborough, Leicestershire in February 1905, originally entered the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in December 1925, was advanced to Stoker Petty Officer in June 1939, and joined the Sphinx in July 1939.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Certificate of Service and official illuminated Memorial Scroll, together with a group photograph of Pembroke personnel and portrait photograph.