Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Able Seaman H. M. Graham, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Gossamer was sunk by a direct hit during an air attack whilst in harbour in the Kola inlet on 24 June 1942

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Admiralty enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs E. Graham, 110 Brassey St., Ruchill, Glasgow N.W.’, nearly extremely fine (3) £80-£120

Hugh McCauley Graham was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He enlisted into the Royal Navy and served aboard the ‘Halcyon’ Class minesweeper, H.M.S. Gossamer. She served extensively during the Dunkirk evacuations, earning her captain a D.S.O., and also took part in the Arctic convoys, where she was an anti-submarine escort for the first convoy, PQ1. Gossamer was witness to the sinking of the cruiser H.M.S. Edinburgh in an air attack during QP11, where she rescued 440 of her survivors. On 24 June 1942, after successfully completing convoy PQ16, the ship was anchored in the Kola inlet when she was attacked by a squadron of German bombers. One aircraft scored a direct hit on Gossamer, causing her to sink with the loss of 3 officers killed, 20 ratings missing and 12 wounded. Graham was one of those killed in the attack, and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.