Orders, Decorations and Medals

Three: Able Seaman R. E. Beer, Royal Navy, who was among 518 officers and ratings who died when the aircraft carrier Courageous was sunk by the U-29 in September 1939

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, in their original card box of issue, addressed to next of kin at Thorn Falcon, near Taunton, together with Admiralty condolence slip in the name of ‘Reginald Ernest Beer’, a silver anchor sweetheart’s brooch, with overlaid gold letters, ‘R.N.’, and a pre-war photograph of the recipient and a shipmate taken at Malta, extremely fine (4) £100-120

Struck by two torpedoes from the U-29 south-west of Ireland on 17 September 1939, H.M.S. Courageous went down in about 20 minutes, taking with her 518 officers and ratings out of her original complement of 1200 men - Hitler was at Wilhelmshaven to personally congratulate and decorate the U-29’s crew when they returned on 26 September 1939.

Reginald Ernest Beer was 39 years of age, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.