Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee

Eight: Leading Seaman E. A. Duffall, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (D/MX. 802934 Elect., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue (JX. 128112 L./S., H.M.S. Abdiel), generally good very fine (8) £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals for Services at Sea from the Collection of the Late Oliver Stirling Lee.

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Ernest Albert Duffall was also awarded the B.E.M. ‘for resource and devotion to duty whilst serving in the Mediterranean’ (London Gazette 13 October 1942 refers). An Acting Leading Seaman in the minelayer H.M.S. Abdiel at the time, his decoration was approved by the Admiralty’s Honours and Awards Committee under the following circumstances:

‘Soon after commissioning, H.M.S. Abdiel was called upon to undertake two hazardous minelaying operations. From April 1941 onwards she was stationed in the Mediterranean, where her duties included minelaying off Cephalonia, service in the withdrawal from Crete, service as a Flotilla Leader, as a destroyer and as a A.A. cruiser. She also transported stores and troops to Cyprus and Tobruk, making no less than fourteen passages to the Libyan port. She has since been concerned in operations which, from a navigational point of view, have been of much danger. The spirit of her company has throughout been excellent and she has performed all her varied duties with success.’

Interestingly, and an accompanying letter from an old shipmate would seem to confirm the same, Duffall was in all probability still serving in the Abdiel when she was mined and sunk off Taranto on 10 September 1943, two days after the Italian capitulation. Duffall and his skipper, Captain D. Orr-Ewing, D.S.O., were among the survivors, but six officers and 42 ratings were lost. In passing, it is worth noting that Oliver Stirling Lee served aboard the Abdiel too, and was also present in her at the evacuation of Crete.

N.B. Although not so inscribed, Duffall’s G.VI.R., 2nd issue L.S. & G.C. Medal must be an official replacement, his original award presumably having gone down with the Abdiel.