Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Telegraphist R. E. Cheney, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Kite, on escort duty with Russian convoy JW-59, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-344 and sank in the Barents Sea, 21 August 1944

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. A. E. Cheney, 3 Hatton Park Road, Wellingborough, Northants.’, extremely fine (3) £100-140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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Ronald Elson Cheney served during the Second World War as a Telegraphist in the modified Black Swan-class sloop H.M.S. Kite, that between January and February 1944 took part in the famous ‘6 in one trip’ patrol that sunk six enemy submarines in the North Atlantic south west of Ireland, 31 January to 19 February 1944. On 20 August 1944, whilst escorting convoy JW-59 to Northern Russia, H.M.S. Kite, together with a swordfish aircraft from H.M.S. Vindix identified an enemy submarine shadowing the convoy. Despite attacking the target the hunt, which went on throughout the night, proved fruitless. The following morning at 6:40 a.m. Kite slowed to 6 knots to untangle her ‘foxers’ (anti-acoustic torpedo noise makers, towed astern). Whilst at her most vulnerable she was hit by a spread of three torpedoes fired by the enemy submarine U-344. She heeled over, lost her stern, and sank almost immediately. Out of her crew of 10 officers and 207 ratings there were only 9 survivors.

Cheney was amongst those killed. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. His medals were sent to his father Alfred Elson Cheney.