Six: Temporary Warrant Mechanician E. S. Scales, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Minesweeping 1945-51, retaining rod replaced (K.61027 E. S. Scales. Mech. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (K.61027 E. S. Scales. Mech. H.M.S. Ganges.) mounted court-style for display, nearly extremely fine (6) £160-£200

Eric Stanley Scales was born in Fulham, London, on 23 August 1903 and enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Stoker Second Class on 2 May 1923. He served in a variety of ships and shore-based establishments during the inter-War years; was advanced Mechanician on 3 October 1932; and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 16 May 1938. He served during the Second World War in H.M.S. Southampton from 13 February 1940, and was promoted Chief Mechanician on 10 November 1940. He was still serving in Southampton when she was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, south-east of Malta, on 11 January 1941; 81 men were killed in the attack, and Scales was injured, receiving a Hurt Certificate. He later served in H.M.S. Kent, conducting patrols and escorts in the Atlantic and Russian convoy runs. He was promoted Temporary Warrant Mechanician on 6 July 1943.

Note: The recipient’s service record states that he was awarded the Naval General Service medal with the (pre-War) Palestine clasp on 8 April 1941; given the rate on the NGS in this lot this is presumably the medal he received; the entitlement to the Minesweeping clasp is unconfirmed.