Four: Gunner P. Hammond, Royal Artillery - who served aboard Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships and survived the sinking of the Manchester Merchant, 25 February 1943

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals, all unnamed, nearly extremely fine (4) £100-140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Patrick Hammond was born in Vauxhall, Liverpool on 24 August 1918. A Pickler by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Artillery at Seaforth on 15 July 1939. Posted to the 5th Maritime A.A. Battery in May 1941. Served as a Gunner aboard Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (D.E.M.S.), including the cargo ship Manchester Merchant. That vessel, in ballast, en route from Manchester to New York via Halifax, Nova Scotia, part of Convoy ON 166 comprising 48 ships, was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U.628, in the Atlantic, 410 miles ESE of Cape Race, on 25 February 1943. 27 members of the crew and four gunners (incl. Hammond) were rescued by the escorts; 29 members of the crew and six gunners were lost. His last sea-going service was aboard the Fort Crevecoeur, April-August 1944.

Hammond was entitled to wear one wound stripe and four bar service chevrons. Hammond was transferred to the South Wales Borderers in May 1945 and was released from military service in January 1946.

With recipient’s battered and worn Soldier’s Service and Pay Book; two other service papers; wartime photograph of the recipient with others; copied official listing of ships served; copied picture of the Manchester Merchant, and other research. With riband bar and three cloth ‘Royal Artillery’ shoulder titles.