Medals from the Collection of the Late Eric Smith (Part II)

Five: Able Seaman R. E. Piper, Royal Navy, who was killed in action in H.M.S. Penelope in February 1944

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, in their original addressed card forwarding box, the side inscribed ‘DNA/Wills’ and ‘2075/1944’, together with related Admiralty condolence slip, extremely fine (5) £60-80

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

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Robert Ernest Piper was killed in action in the cruiser H.M.S. Penelope on 18 February 1944, on which date she was torpedoed off Anzio with a loss of 24 officers and 391 ratings. Penelope had earlier won fame in Force K, in which capacity she amassed seven Battle Honours - and gained the nickname H.M.S. Pepperpot as a result of being hit by so many bomb splinters and shells; see H.M.S. Pepperpot, The Penelope in World War Two, by Ed Gordon, for the full history of this remarkable ship.

Piper has no known grave and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; the above described forwarding box is addressed to the recipient’s re-married mother, ‘Mrs. E. D. Skinner, Rose Cottage, Scaines Hill, Blackboys, Uckfield, Sussex.’