Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-war ‘China Service’ military B.E.M. group of six awarded to Chief Petty Officer S. E. G. Cunningham, Royal Navy

British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 2nd issue (C.P.O. Sidney E. G. Cunningham, C/JX.128890); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star, stars gilded; Defence and War Medals, these four named, ‘C.P.O. Sidney E. G. Cunningham C/JX.128890’; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue (JX.128890 S. E. G. Cunningham, P.O., H.M.S. Euphrates) mounted as worn; together with a similar set of six miniature dress medals, full-size medals with some contact marks, very fine and better (12) £400-460

B.E.M. London Gazette 2 January 1950. ‘

Citation: ‘For four years C.P.O. Cunningham served on the staff of the Resident Naval Officer. During this time he displayed outstanding zeal and devotion to duty and his services were of the utmost value to the Royal Navy and thereby to the British community in Shanghai.’

Sydney Edward George Cunningham was born in Pootung, Shanghai in 1910, the son of Charles William Cunningham, who was Keeper of the Magazine at Ma Lu Chiao, Pootung. Sidney Cunningham entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 8 January 1927 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class in September the same year. He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in January 1928 when on H.M.S. Benbow; Able Seaman in August 1929 when on H.M.S. Kent and Acting Leading Seaman in February 1938 when at H.M.S. Pembroke. Cunningham served on the river gunboat H.M.S. Peterel, November 1938-August 1940, based at Hankow and Shanghai, and was advanced to leading Seaman in February 1939. Serving next at H.M.S. Tamar (Hong Kong), August 1940-September 1941, he was advanced to Acting Petty Officer in December 1940. For the bulk of the war he was based at H.M.S. Euphrates (Basra Naval Base, Iraq), September 1941-October 1944 and was confirmed in the rating of Petty Officer in December 1941. Awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal in January 1943. In 1943 Cunningham was transferred to the Naval Intelligence Staff Force 136. His late war posting was to H.M.S. Lanka (Ceylon), October 1944-September 1945, after which he served at H.M.S. Tamar and at Shanghai, September 1945-January 1950, where he attained the rank of Chief Petty Officer in September 1945. At the time of the ‘Yangtse Incident’, April-July 1949, he was closely involved in arranging for the evacuation and safe passage of crewmen injured in the action. It was for this and other work in connection with the escape of H.M.S. Amethyst that he was awarded the B.E.M. in 1951. After being pensioned by the Royal Navy in January 1950, Cunningham was employed by the Inland revenue Department of the Hong Kong Government. He also joined the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves in which he was later commissioned before retiring to the U.K. in 1964. He passed away in 1982.

With Royal Navy certificate of service; true copy of the certificate of service; invitation to attend Government House, Hong Kong, to received the B.E.M., dated 30 November 1951, with envelope addressed, ‘S. E. G. Cunningham, Esq., Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong’; citation for the B.E.M.; photograph of the B.E.M. presentation; postcard photograph of H.M.S. Benbow - card inscribed, ‘To dear Papa with kind remembrance of your loving son Sonny, H.M.S. Benbow’; riband bar and case to contain the miniatures bearing the label, ‘Sydney Edward Cunningham B.E.M. Shanghai’. With modern typescript, written by his son, giving the above service details.

For other family medals, see lots 524, and 833.