Family group:

Ten: Lieutenant Commander W. E. Mingay, Royal Navy

1914-15 Star (M.937 S.S.A., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (M.937 V.C.P.O., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (M.937 S.C.P.O., H.M.S. Dragon), mounted as worn, British War and Victory Medals worn; others nearly very fine and better

Six: attributed to G. E. Mingay, Royal Navy

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Burma Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, all unnamed, mounted as worn, these nearly extremely fine (16) £300-350

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 January 1942.

William Edmund Mingay was born in Portsmouth. He entered the Royal Navy as a Ships Stewards Boy in March 1909 and was advanced to Ships Stewards Assistant when serving on the Black Prince in September 1911. During the Great War he served on/was based at Halcyon, Actaeon I, Pembroke and Hussar, on which latter ship he was appointed Victualling Chief Petty Officer in February 1918. Mingay was promoted to Warrant Supply Officer in August 1931 and Commissioned Supply Officer in July 1939. As such, during the war, when based at Excellent II, he was mentioned in despatches for his services during the withdrawal from Crete. In September 1942 he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1944 he received a Certificate of Appreciation for ‘his fine example of tireless devotion to duty whilst serving on my staff during the training and preparatory stages of the invasion of France, and during Operation Neptune’ - signed Flag Officer Commanding Force “S”. During 1945 he held the rank of Acting Lieutenant Commander. He retired from the Navy in 1946 and died in 1979. Sold with framed M.I.D. Certificate and a framed Certificate of Appreciation and copied service papers.

Professor Gordon Edmund Mingay, B.A., Ph.D., was born in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, on 20 June 1923, the son of William Edmund Mingay, R.N. Educated at Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Rochester, and the University of Nottingham. Mingay lectured at the Woolwich Polytechnic and the London School of Economics before taking the chair of Professor of Agrarian History at the University of Kent in 1965. Latterly living at Selling, he retired in 1983 and died in 2006. Sold with newspaper cutting with photograph and obituary.