Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

South Atlantic 1982, with (loose) rosette (JEO W Hall RFA Sir Lancelot) in card box of issue, extremely fine £800-1000

William Hall was born in Sunderland on 9 December 1959. Served in the Falkland War aboard R.F.A. Sir Lancelot. Post-war, lived at Falford, Washington, Co. Durham.

R.F.A. Sir Lancelot was a Landing Ship Logistics vessel heavily involved in the Falklands War. She entered Falkland Sound on 21 May 1982 and uniquely, did not leave it again until 25 June. On 24 May she was hit by a 1,000lb bomb dropped by an Argentinian Skyhawk, the bomb penetrated the starboard side but failed to explode. As a result the ship was temporarily evacuated. She was strafed by 20mm. cannon fire and hit by a second bomb the following day. On 27 May the first bomb that was lodged in the ship was made safe and the ship towed to a safer anchorage but it was not until 29 May that the bomb and ship parted company with the former being lowered carefully into the watery deep. On 5 June Sir Lancelot was designated as an operating base for 22 S.A.S. Following the cessation of hostilities and some necessary repairs, she operated around the Falklands, based at Port Stanley until 26 July, returning to Portsmouth on 18 August.

Sold with a large number of photographs relating to the Falklands War - personnel, ships, landing craft, war damage to ships, helicopters, views of the Falklands - countryside and buildings. With separate hand-written sheets by the recipient providing comments on some of the photographs taken. Together with two new sweat shirts (extra large) white; another grey, bearing the logo ‘RFA Sir Lancelot Operation Corporate.’