The James Fox Collection of Naval Awards

Seven: Chief Petty Officer Air Mechanic H. Wilkinson, Royal Navy, who served in H.M.S. Ark Royal during the sinking of the Bismarck, and later survived the sinking of H.M.S. Ark Royal off Gibraltar in November 1941

Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (FX.76888 H. Wilkinson. A.B. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Malta George Cross 50th Anniversary Medal 1992, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine (7) £200-£240

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

View
Collection

Harold Wilkinson was born in St. Helens, Lancashire, on 1 April 1913 and joined the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman on 21 March 1933. He served in H.M.S. Boreas from 18 October 1933 to 21 September 1936, being advanced Able Seaman on 21 August 1934, and it was in this ship that he qualified for the Naval General Service medal with the pre-War Palestine clasp. Appointed Air Mechanic First Class on 1 April 1940, he served during the Second World War in H.M.S. Ark Royal from 19 July 1940, and was present in her, as a Leading Air Mechanic, during the pursuit and sinking of the Bismarck.

Wilkinson was still serving in Ark Royal when she was hit by a torpedo fired by the German submarine U-81 when returning from Malta to Gibraltar as part of the convoy Force H on 13 November 1941 - the crew of the Ark Royal were safely taken off before she sank the following day and miraculously, out of a total complement of 1,488, only one man was killed. Wilkinson served for the rest of the War borne on the books of various Royal Naval Air Stations, and was advanced Chief Petty Officer Air Mechanic on 1 June 1945, prior to being shore released, Class ‘A’, on 1 December 1945.

Sold with original parchment certificate of service; Admiralty enclosure; and copied research.