Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A ‘Civil Division’ B.E.M. group of ten awarded to Petty Officer (Pensioner) J. W. Mallaburn, Royal Navy, who was Mentioned in Despatches for his services with H.M.S. Norfolk during the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst, 26 December 1943

British Empire Medal, (Civil) E.II.R. (John William Mallaburn.) with official corrections; British War and Victory Medals (J. 89819 J. Mallaburn. Boy. 1. R.N.) suspension very loose on BWM; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. Oak Leaf; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage head (J. 89819 J. W. Mallaburn. A.B. H.M.S. Leander.) mounted as originally worn, lacquered, G.V.R. awards worn and fine, very fine or better (10) £400-£500

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 January 1966 (Deputy Superintendent, Royal Courts of Justice).

M.I.D. London Gazette 7 March 1944. Seedie’s Roll states for the sinking of the Scharnhorst.

John William Mallaburn was born in Edmonton, London in December 1902. He joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class in June 1918, and served during the Great War with H.M.S. Impregnable. Mallaburn advanced to Able Seaman in April 1922, and post-war service included with H.M. Ships Marlborough and Hood. He was awarded the L.S. & G.C. in February 1936, and served with H.M.S. Edinburgh during the early stages of the Second War.

Mallaburn advanced to Acting Petty Officer (Pensioner), and served with the heavy cruiser H.M.S. Norfolk from 14 June 1940. The latter initially served as part of the Home Fleet, before being deployed to the South Atlantic on protection duties. In early 1941 she was employed on Atlantic convoy duty, but by May the Norfolk had moved into Icelandic waters to join the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck.

The moment it became known that the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had put to sea from Bergen, dispositions were at once made to prevent the enemy from breaking into the Atlantic to execute Admiral Lutjens’s ‘Good hunting and good bag.’

Sent to patrol the Denmark Straits, the cruisers H.M.S. Suffolk and H.M.S. Norfolk set out to track down the enemy, poor weather with fog and ice floes making their brief all the more difficult. On the evening of 23 May 1941, however, lookouts aboard the Suffolk, followed by those in the Norfolk, sighted the German ships sailing at high speed on a south-westerly course. Admiral Wake-Walker immediately reported this intelligence to the surrounding British forces.

Throughout the night the two cruisers continued to shadow the enemy force and, on the following morning, witnessed the attack carried out by the Prince of Wales and the Hood, the ultimate result of which was the terrible loss of the latter battleship. Hits, however, were observed on the Bismarck, and soon afterwards a successful torpedo strike was delivered by a Fleet Air Arm aircraft from the Victorious.

On the evening of 25 May contact was lost and it was not until a Coastal Command aircraft re-sighted the Bismarck 550 miles west of Land’s End that the Royal Navy moved in for the kill.

The Norfolk was subsequently employed on Arctic convoy duties, before returning to engage another ‘big beast’ - the Scharnhorst. Mallaburn was with the Norfolk when she was employed as part of the escort for Convoy JW 55B. The Scharnhorst attacked the convoy, 26 December 1943, with the Norfolk scoring three hits on her during the following pitched battle. Mallaburn’s ship was forced to withdraw due to damage, and the German battleship was caught later that day and sunk by the battleship Duke of York and her escorting cruisers.

After the war Mallaburn was employed in the Royal Courts of Justice.