Orders, Decorations and Medals

An outstanding post-war B.E.M. group of seven awarded to Fleet Chief Petty Officer R. R. Coombes, Royal Navy, whose long and distinguished career embraced active service from Korea to the Malay Peninsula to the Falklands

British Empire Medal, (Military) E.II.R. (C.P.O. (Cox.) Richard R. Coombes, P/JX. 819575); Korea 1950-53 (P/JX. 819575 R. R. Coombes, Ldg. Smn., R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54; General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Malay Peninsula (JX. 819575 R. R. Coombes, C.P.O., R.N.); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (F.C.P.O. Coxn. R. R. Coombes, B.E.M., J. 819575T, H.M.S. Fearless); Royal Navy Meritorious Service Medal, E.II.R. (F.C.P.O. R. J. Coombes, B.E.M., J. 819575, H.M.S. Cochrane); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., with Second Award Bar (JX. 819575 R. R. Coombes, C.P.O., H.M.S. President), mounted as worn, one or two official corrections to naming on the fifth, light contact marks and slightly polished, very fine and better (7) £5000-6000

B.E.M. London Gazette 1 January 1970.

Richard Roy Coombes, who was born in Essex and entered the Royal Navy in 1947, first witnessed active service as a Leading Seaman in the destroyer H.M.S. Charity in Korean waters - which ship was regularly employed on shore bombardments alongside such stalwarts as the Belfast, and often, too, in co-operation with our aircraft carriers and the U.S. Navy.






Regularly mentioned in John Lansdown’s history, With the Carriers in Korea, Charity marked the Queen’s accession to the throne by firing a 21-gun royal salute against enemy shore targets - just one of many incidents in her Korean sojourn, many of which are related in more detail by ex-crew member Edward Bates (see http://france-coree.pagesperso-orange.fr/eurokorvet/uk/ted_charity.htm). Thus her coming under heavy fire at Taechong Do in March 1952, her spectacular gunnery in the destruction of a train off “Package One” in September - for which she was elected a member of the U.S. Navy’s “Train Buster’s Club” - and her subsequent work alongside the mighty U.S.S. Iowa, whose 16-inch shells regularly came over over the top of Charity ‘like express trains’ en route to the shore.

Appointed a Coxswain in 1958, and awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in 1963, Coombes witnessed further active service as a Chief Petty Officer in the Malay Peninsula operations of August 1964 to August 1966, quite possibly in the aircraft carrier Victorious (see accompanying dated photograph), and was serving as Chief Petty Officer (Coxswain) in the frigate Duncan when awarded his B.E.M. in January 1970. Having then been awarded his rare M.S.M., and Bar to his L.S. & G.C. Medal in 1978, Coombes was to add one further Campaign Medal to his active service accolades - the South Atlantic Medal for his services in the Fearless.

Commanded by Captain E. J. S. Larken, who was awarded the D.S.O., the amphibious assault ship Fearless acted as the Key Command Ship of the Amphibious Force throughout the campaign. Repeatedly attacked by enemy aircraft in “Bomb Alley”, she was fortunate to escape with nothing more than cannon fire damage:

‘The approach into San Carlos Water for the assault overnight was carried out in total darkness and almost complete silence. It was not until daybreak that the ship’s company could see the place soon to be known as Bomb Alley. In the early stages Fearless and the other ships in the anchorage were attacked repeatedly by aircraft of the Argentine Air Force and Navy; Fearless herself escaping with slight damage, a few injuries and some very near misses, but credited with a share of 4 Argentine jets shot down. The Argentine pilots came to regard the anchorage as Death Alley, according to a prisoner of war, such were the losses in the next weeks under withering fire from ships and shore elements. Fearless then became Headquarters Ship for General Jeremy Moore and his Staff, supporting also elements of the 5th Infantry Brigade and 846 Naval Air Squadron. The force Headquarters Staff remained embarked throughout the final battle of Stanley. At times the ship was host to over 1500 people and overall the flight deck saw over 5000 helicopter deck landings, as well as a passing visit from a Sea Harrier’ (her official press release refers).

Of those frequent attacks in San Carlos Water, Coombes later described events on 25 May 1982:

‘A bad day. We were bombed an hour after closing up at action stations, some damage to the ship’s side (Just down from my cabin!) and also showered (by debris) from a blown up plane. Pilot ejected, picked him up, broken leg - gone ashore. Coventry was bombed in the last raid of the day, that’s four warships lost. Don’t know how many lives. Also the Atlantic Conveyor with aircraft on board has been sunk. We got between us 10 of their planes. But we will live another day. I hope its going to be for a lot more days!!’

Coombes finally came ashore in 1983, after 35 years in the Senior Service.


Sold with an original issue of The Falklands Times, dated 23 May 1982, with ink inscription by Coombes, as per above cited events on the 25th; an original copy of the Cramlington News and Advertiser, dated 15 January 1970, with feature regarding the award of his B.E.M., and several career photographs.