NOONANS SELL IMPORTANT ST NAZAIRE/ COLDITZ MEDALS FOR A HAMMER PRICE OF £48,000

A unique, important, and well-documented Second War St. Nazaire raid and Colditz “home-run” D.S.C. and Bar group of seven awarded to Commander W. L. “Billie” Stephens of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve realised a hammer price of £48,000 in sale of Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria at Noonans on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. It was bought by private collector in the UK.

Christopher Mellor-Hill, Head of Client Liaison at Noonans, said: “Medals relating to Colditz and the heroic stories of those who tried to escape always attract strong interest. The story of William Lawson “Billie” Stephens, who was born in Holywood, Northern Ireland in August 1911 into a prominent Ulster family is no different. His Second War Distinguished Service Cross was awarded for his gallantry during both the St. Nazaire raid and Colditz. He had been taken prisoner after his own launch was set on fire, however he endeavoured to make a successful bid for freedom with three others from the infamous Colditz Castle in October 1942 during a breakout conducted by Douglas Bader that culminated with the four men squeezing naked through a narrow vent! It was being sold as part of a deceased estate.” [lot 73].

Elsewhere in the sale, an excessively rare Second War ‘Cockleshell’ operations D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Quarter-Master Sergeant J. M. King, Royal Marines, a member of the elite Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment (R.M.B.P.D.) realised a hammer price of £30,000 and was bought by a private collector in the UK.

Christopher Mellor-Hill added: “Quarter-Master Sergeant James King was born in Glasgow in June 1918 and joined the Royal Marines at the age of just 17 years old. As a member of the elite Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment, he was one of only three people to have been honoured with an excessively rare Second War ‘Cockleshell’ operations Distinguished Service Medal. This was awarded after his role in Operation ‘Sunbeam’ – a canoe launched attack - described as one of the most brilliant sabotage operations of the war - against targets in Leros in June 1944. On this memorable occasion, in a damaged canoe ‘with water up to their knees’, and in the face of several challenges from enemy sentries, he and his comrade nonetheless placed six limpet mines on an Italian destroyer which they duly detonated with the desired result. It was being sold as part of the deceased estate of a collector.” [lot 85].

Another notable lot was the George Cross (exchange Empire Gallantry Medal) awarded to Miss Emma José Townsend which sold for a hammer price of £13,000 to a private collector.
Mr Mellor-Hill explained: “Miss Emma José Townsend, the first of only four lady recipients of the Empire Gallantry Medal also known as the George Cross was given the medal following her attempt to save a 9-year-old boy who was attacked by his father while in hospital in Kingsbridge in South Devon. The father had already killed the mother and two other children, and while visiting her sister in hospital, Miss Townsend heard the boy shouting for help after his father had tried to shoot him with a gun and strike him too. While she was trying to defend the boy, the father hit Miss Townsend with the gun and cut her head – resulting in the loss of a lot of blood. Sadly, the boy dies two days later, and his father was arrested and detained in an asylum. The medal was presented to her in 1933 by George V and was being sold by a German collector of fine British Medals.” [lot 60].