Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Second World War D.S.M. group of seven awarded to Petty Officer Telegraphist J. Lilly, Royal Navy, who served on the Staff of Admiral Sir Charles Ramsey, K.C.B., Commodore of Convoys

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (P.O. Tel. J. Lilly, P./J. 84401); British War and Victory Medals (J. 84401 B. Tel., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, coinage bust (J. 84401 L. Tel., H.M.S. Douglas), the second with re-riveted but slack and slightly bent suspension bar, the three earlier awards with contact marks, edge bruising and polished, thus fine, the remainder good very fine (7) £800-1000

D.S.M. London Gazette 8 June 1944.

Jesse Lilly, who was born in Southsea, Hampshire in August 1902 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in January 1918, was appointed a Boy Telegraphist in the battleship H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth a few days before the end of hostilities. Gaining steady advancement between the Wars, he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in October 1935 and was serving as an Acting Petty Officer Telegraphist in Portsmouth on the outbreak of war in September 1939.

Shortly thereafter, he was ordered to the Liverpool establishment Eaglet, and it was in this capacity that he served in numerous convoys and was awarded his D.S.M., not least for his work on the staff of Admiral Sir Charles Ramsey, K.C.B., a Jutland veteran who had volunteered to serve as a Commodore of Convoys on his retirement in 1942 - thus North Atlantic convoy HX231 in April 1943, when Ramsay and his staff sailed aboard the Tyndareus - of 61 ships, 22 of them tankers, six were sunk by U-Boats. Lilly was released from the Service in November 1945.

Sold with the recipient’s original Certificate of Service and Wireless History Sheet, together with Buckingham Palace D.S.M. forwarding letter and a portrait photograph.