A Second World War Norway 1940 operations D.S.M. awarded to Signalman D. Hawkey, Royal Navy, who was lost aboard H.M.S. Hood in May 1941

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX. 151228 D. Hawkey, Sig., R.N.) surname officially corrected, one or two edge bruises, very fine £3000-3500

D.S.M. London Gazette 28 June 1940:

‘The King has been graciously pleased to approve the following Award for good services off the Norwegian Coast.’

Hawkey’s name is the only one listed under this heading, with the surname spelling ‘Hawsey’, thereby accounting for the official correction to his D.S.M. His award almost certainly stems from the 2nd Battle of Narvik.

Derrick Brian Hawkey was killed in action when the battlecruiser Hood was sunk on 24 May 1941, in action with the German battleship Bismarck, in the battle of the Denmark Strait, south of Greenland. There were only three survivors from a compliment of 1,419 officers and men. His D.S.M. was presented to his parents, Herbert William and Emily Daisy Hawkey of Parkstone, Dorset. Hawkey was 20 years of age at the time of his death.