Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Petty Officer Steward H. F. Merrick, Royal Navy, whose impressive Second War service included: the battles of Narvik; Cape Matapan; Malta and Arctic Convoy escort; destroyer actions in the Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans; surviving the sinking of H.M.S. Naiad; was wounded during an air attack; and being taken POW and escaping whilst on shore based duty at Tobruk

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Arctic Star, in named box of issue; Africa Star; Italy Star; Burma Star, clasp, Pacific; War Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn except where stated, generally good very fine (7) £300-£400

Harold Frederick Merrick was born in Winsford, Somerset, in July 1916. He was the son of a Police Constable and was born in a police station. He joined the Royal Navy as an Assistant Steward in November 1938, and his subsequent service included with H.M.S. Valiant, November 1939 - December 1941, and H.M.S. Naiad, December 1941 - July 1942:

‘[Merrick] was employed at Stroud before he joined the Merchant Service to serve on Messrs. Elder’s and Fyffe’s boats, between this country and the West Indies. it was about four years ago that he transferred to the Royal Navy. Shortly after the outbreak of the war he was on a vessel in Norwegian waters, and he saw action in that area during the invasion of Norway and the battles of Narvik. Since then, most of his time has been spent in the Meditteranean, first on a battleship, and subsequently on the cruiser H.M.S. Naiad, whose loss was announced a short time ago.

The Naiad was under strong enemy air attack most of the day before she sank. Leading Steward Merrick was look-out for offensive aircraft and he was kept busy much of the time that the vessel was at sea. Bombing was frequent and all the personnel were often “in the thick of it.” When the Naiad went down, Mr Merrick had the gruelling experience of clinging to a raft all night, in company with many other seamen. In one air attack he was hit in the thigh with a piece of shrapnel but otherwise he was not injured during the whole of the two years.

Interviewed by a Mercury reporter on the day that the fall of Tobruk was officially announced, Leading Steward Merrick recalled that he spent several weeks in the Libyan port last summer. He was shore based there during the time that the defenders were withstanding all assaults, and he confirms that life with the garrison was pretty lively. He was captured while on patrol and was a prisoner in Italian hands for ten days. On escaping, with others, he was two days in the open desert before rejoining the Tobruk garrison. Another ‘hot spot’ he has visited on various occasions is Malta, where he agrees that things are hectic nearly all the time. He took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan, and in the withdrawals from Greece and Crete...’ (copy of newspaper cutting included in the lot refers)

Merrick advanced to Petty Officer Steward, and served with the destroyer H.M.S. Queenborough on Arctic Convoy escort. He subsequently served with her as part of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean, in the Indian Ocean as part of the British Eastern Fleet, and in the Pacific Ocean as part of the British Pacific Fleet. Merrick served in the aircraft carrier H.M.S. Victorious as part of the Pacific Fleet, from February 1945. He was released to the Reserve in May 1952, and died in Weston-super-Mare, in September 1958.

Sold with the following related original documentation: Parchment Certificate of Service; Naval Pay and Identity Book; Order for Release from Naval Service, dated 6 May 1952; a number of photographs from various stages of recipient’s career, including portrait photographs of recipient in uniform; newspaper cuttings, copied newspaper cuttings and other ephemera.