The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards

A rare Second War escaper’s group of six awarded to Able Seaman G. V. Wilson, Royal Navy: captured on the occasion of the loss of the destroyer H.M.S. Bedouin on the Malta run in June 1942, he ‘jumped ship’ on being entrained for Germany from Italy in September 1943 and reached Allied lines some three months later - in a subsequent letter to his counterpart in Naval Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Military Intelligence recommended this gallant rating for mention in despatches

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Naval General Service 1915-62, 2 clasps, S.E. Asia 1945-46, Malaya (C/JX. 158999 G. Wilson, A.B., R.N.), good very fine and better (6) £800-£1,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards.

View
Collection

M.I.D. London Gazette 30 May 1944:
‘For enterprise and devotion to duty.’

The following information has been taken from a letter written by the Deputy Director of Military Intelligence, addressed to his naval counterpart at the Admiralty and dated 26 March 1944:
‘Able Seaman Wilson was captured off Pantelleria on 15 June 1942. He was sent via Pantelleria and Castelvetrano to Campo 52 (Chiavari). This camp was taken over by the Germans after the Armistice and on 12 September 1943, the prisoners of war were entrained for Germany. In Wilson’s cattle truck the prisoners worked all day and finally managed to force an opening. They then got out of the truck and jumped off the train - Wilson made his way South and finally met Allied troops at S. Vincenzo on 16 December 1943.’

The Deputy Director of Military Intelligence closed his letter with the following observation:
‘Had this man been in the Army, D.M.I. would have forwarded to the Military Secretary a recommendation for the award of a Mention in view of his brave conduct.’

George Vitty Wilson was born in Hartlepool, Durham in July 1922. In which year he joined the Royal Navy remains unknown, but he may have witnessed active service in H.M.S. Bedouin off Norway in 1940-41. Certainly he was among the ship’s complement by the time of the ship’s deployment to the Mediterranean in June 1942. Of her subsequent loss, the following account has been taken from Hocking’s Dictionary of Disasters at Sea in the Age of Steam:

‘The destroyer Bedouin, Commander B. G. Scurfield, was leader of a small flotilla which formed part of a force escorting a convoy to Malta in June 1942. The force, which had left Britain on the 5th, was known as the “Harpoon Convoy”. On the 15th, when about 30 miles S. of Pantelleria, British aircraft reported the presence of two Italian cruisers and five destroyers some 15 miles to the northward. The Bedouin and her flotilla were despatched to engage this force which was superior to them, both in number and gun power.

The action began at 6.45 a.m., the 6-inch guns of the Italian cruisers outranging the lighter weapons of the British destroyers. The Bedouin and Partridge were hit and badly damaged, but the three remaining destroyers managed to get within range and scored three direct hits on an Italian destroyer. Meanwhile the light cruiser Cairo, 4.220 tons, five 6-inch guns, with four ‘Hunt-class’ destroyers had joined in the action and forced the Italians to turn away.

This engagement, though very brief, deprived the convoy of its naval escort, and during this time it suffered a succession of bombing attacks in which two merchantmen were sunk.

The Bedouin was taken in tow by the Partridge, but, as both ships were disabled, their progress was slow. Later the Italian squadron returned and the Partridge was compelled to cast off the two and the Bedouin was left to face both warships and torpedo bombers. She was hit by an aerial torpedo and sank at 2.45 p.m.’

The torpedo hit Bedouin’s engine room, blasting clear through the ship. She immediately rolled over to port and sank with a loss of 28 men. At dusk, an Italian floatplane and an Italian hospital ship picked up 213 survivors, Wilson among them.

Following his gallant escape - and release from the Royal Navy - Wilson returned to Hartlepool and was employed as a Millwright. He died there in December 2004.

Sold with copied research.