The Collection of Medals Formed By Dr A W Stott

Nine: Captain E. W. B. Sim, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Galatea
1914-15 Star Trio (Mid./S.Lt. E. W. B. Sim, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1937, named, together with a portrait photograph, nearly very fine or better (9)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals Formed By Dr A W Stott.

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Captain Edward William Boyd Sim, Royal Navy, was killed in action whilst in Command of H.M.S. Galatea on 14 December 1941. He entered Osborne in January 1912, and was among the Cadets who went direct to sea from Dartmouth when war broke out in 1914. He served as Midshipman and Sub-Lieutenant in the cruiser Amphitrite, the battleship Barham, and the destroyer Exe. Following courses during 1919 he was promoted Lieutenant from January 15, 1920. During the next seven years he was in the Dauntless and the destroyers Veteran, Bruce and Venetia. From 1927-29 he was on the staff at Dartmouth. He next commanded the destroyers Sterling, in China, and Woolfhound in the Home Fleet, and was promoted Commander in June 1933. He was Drafting Commander at Devonport Barracks, and later in the Personal Services Department at the Admiralty, resuming sea service in 1937 as executive officer in the cruiser Arethusa in the Mediterranean. He was promoted Captain in June 1940 and subsequently appointed to the Galatea.

The light cruiser Galatea was a unit of the 15th Cruiser Squadron. On the night of December 14th, 1941, the squadron was returning to Alexandria from an unsuccessful search for an enemy convoy when it was attacked by German dive bombers. The attacks persisted for about seven hours. Just before midnight Galatea became a target for a German submarine which hit her with two torpedoes in quick succession. The cruiser turned over and sank in three minutes. Captain Sim, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed, and about 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers Griffin and Hotspur.