Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

A scarce Greek Medal for Outstanding Acts group of eight awarded to Petty Officer Telegraphist R. H. Wells, Royal Navy, attached Royal Hellenic Navy

1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (MX. 876575 Ch. R. El., H.M.S. Drake); Greek Medal for Outstanding Acts 1939-45, mounted as worn, the seventh with officially corrected number, generally very fine and better (8) £400-500

Just 28 Greek Medals for Outstanding Acts were awarded to the Officers and men of the Royal Navy in the Second World War.

Greek Medal for Outstanding Acts London Gazette 2 November 1948: ‘For liaison services in H.H.M.S. Miaoulis during operations in the South Aegean and the Dodecanese.’

For full details regarding the destroyer Miaoulis’ protracted and busy spell in the above operations, see War in the Aegean by Smith and Walker, and “Taffrail’s” Western Mediterranean 1942-45. The latter describes a highly successful operation in which Miaoulis participated off Port Atki, Kalymnos in the Aegean in October 1943:

‘It was 0200 in brilliant moonlight that the two ships [Miaoulis and Hursley] moved silently into a narrow cove fringed by steep, tall cliffs. They sighted two E-Boats lying close inshore. Opening fire at 600 yards they were soon hitting and the last they saw of the enemy crews was when they were hurriedly abandoning ship and scrambling ashore. Church [in command of Hursley] next led the way into another small bay, so narrow that there was hardly room to manoeuvre. It was intensely dark under the shadow of the cliffs, so the Miaoulis switched on her searchlight and swept along the foot of the cliff. There were two more E-Boats lying close inshore and they too were fired at and hit. Moving on round the next little promontory they discovered yet another enemy vessel in hiding. Forewarned by the sound of gunfire she was waiting and ready and opened fire as soon as the destroyers appeared too accurately for comfort. The Hursley replied hitting with one of her first rounds and then sweeping the enemy’s deck with her close range weapons. Before long the enemy’s guns were out of action and she was well ablaze. The Miaoulis finished her off. German aircraft appeared and made several sharp bombing attacks towards the end of the engagements but both destroyers got away without damage. Some time later as Church said, ‘we heard a colossal explosion in that direction’.’

Accompanying research states, ‘According to his relatives he [Wells] was sunk four times. One of these was probably the cruiser York which he served on. Badly damaged by dive bombers she was beached at Suda Bay. With our withdrawal she had to be sunk to save her from falling into enemy hands. This was done on 29 May 1941. Other ships that he served on were the Warspite and the Dragon.’

Also sold with original Greek award certificate, with related forwarding letter, dated 11 July 1949.