Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Seven: Acting Stoker Petty Officer Stoker H. Robishaw, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, 1 clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, 1 clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Commemorative Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1945-85, bronze; Finland, Republic, Winter War Commemorative Medal, iron; together with the related miniature award for the last, very fine and better (7) £200-£240

Harold Robishaw was born in Shaw, Lancashire, on 22 September 1914. A plumber by trade, in 1939 he tried to join the Finnish Army after the Russian invasion of Finland but, as a result of the German invasion of Norway, and Sweden’s refusal to allow passage of foreign troops, it was impossible for him to get there. He did enlist at the Finnish Embassy in London, but was finally discharged with thanks for his intention.

Instead, Robishaw joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 6 May 1941. After completing his training, he was drafted to Glasgow to join the Destroyer H.M.S. Offa on 19 September 1941. During his time in the ship, Offa served with the North Atlantic convoys between Scapa Flow and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It also took part, on 27 December 1941, in a Combined Operations’ raid on the islands of Vaagso and Malloy on the Norwegian coast, where the recipient states that he was in a boarding party which captured a German merchant ship (included research refers). Offa also served with the Russian convoys and was part of a Close Escort to PQ17.

Promoted Stoker 1st Class on 6 May 1942, joined LST 415 on on 17 January 1943, and was involved in he Sicily landings at Palermo and Augusta, and in the Italian landings, where the recipient states that he was present during an air raid in Naples, and was also at Anzio and Salerno. Promoted Acting Leading Stoker on 18 October 1943, Robishaw continued to serve in LST 415 and later took part in the Normandy Landings, ferrying troops and vehicles across to Juno Beach on D-Day itself 6 June 1944. Finally, LST 415 was torpedoed off the mouth of the Thames in January 1945.

Promoted Acting Petty Officer Stoker on 1 December 1945, Robishaw was released on 7 March 1946. He was awarded his Finnish Winter War Medal by the Finnish Ambassador in London on 6 December 1988.

Sold with the recipient’s original Parchment Certificate of Service and History Sheet for Stoker Ratings; Admiralty enclosure for the British awards; named bestowal booklet for the Russian award; named invitation and accompanying letters for the Finnish award; and a large quantity of original research.