The Second War Memorial Scroll and Associated Archive pertaining to Major F. V. Platel, G.M., Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Memorial Scroll ‘Major F. V. Platel Royal Army Ordnance Corps’, with Buckingham Palace enclosure, minor damage to top left hand corner, and small stain bottom right, otherwise good condition £200-£300

G.M. London Gazette 22 July 1941:
‘At Masara, on the 23rd January, 1941, an explosion occurred in a cave gallery of No. 8 Base Ammunition Depot, killing and wounding about ten of the staff and igniting a stack of gun cartridges. Captain Platel organised and led a rescue and fire-fighting party into the gallery where the cartridges were exploding in all directions; they fought and extinguished the fire. The cave was full of ammunition of all calibres and, but for this officer’s prompt action, example and disregard of danger, the fire must have spread irrevocably, caused a major explosion and the loss of much ammunition.’

Francis Vittery Platel, a native of Shrewsbury, was commissioned into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and served with them during the Second World War in North Africa, being awarded the George Medal for his gallantry at Masara. Shortly after this incident, Platel transferred to No. 4 Advanced Ammunition Depot in Greece and was captured there on or about 1 March 1941. After being held in various camps he was finally interned in Oflag VIB in Germany. He died whilst a prisoner of war on 23 November 1944, from an ulcer of the stomach, and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.

Sold together with a large associated archive, comprising various War Office letters and telegrams reporting the recipient missing, taken P.O.W., and having died &c.; various letters home from the recipient, both before and after having been taken Prisoner; newspaper cuttings regarding his death; various letters and forms of a financial nature; and other ephemera.

Note: The recipient’s George Medal, together with his 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; and War Medal 1939-45, was sold in these rooms in September 1999.