Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second World War D.S.C. and Bar group of seven attributed to Captain C. B. “Hurricane Hank” Alers-Hankey, Royal Navy, a distinguished destroyer and carrier C.O. whose wartime record included valuable work at Dunkirk and gallant example at the time of the loss of the H.M.S. Limbourne in October 1943

Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1940’ and privately engraved, ‘Commander Conrad Byron Alers Hankey, R.N., H.M.S. Vanquisher, July’, the reverse of the Bar undated; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953, together with a set of related miniature dress medals and tunic ribands, mounted as worn, very fine and better (14)
£1200-1500

D.S.C. London Gazette 11 July 1940:

‘For good services in the Royal Navy since the outbreak of War.’

Bar to D.S.C. London Gazette 1 February 1944:

‘For gallantry, steadfastness and enterprise in action with enemy submarines, aircraft and surface forces while serving in H.M. Ships Limbourne, Ulster, Grenville, Jed and Wensleydale on patrol duties.’

Conrad Byron “Hurricane Hank” Alers-Hankey was born in British Columbia, Canada, in February 1904, the son of Gerald Cramer Alers-Hankey, a descendant of the banking dynasty Hankey & Co.

Entering the Royal Navy as a Cadet in the early 1920s, young Conrad was advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in January 1925 and to Lieutenant in March 1927, winning in the interim high praise for an act of bravery in the cruiser H.M.S. Capetown during a hurricane at Bermuda - hence his nickname.

A Lieutenant-Commander serving at Chatham on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Alers-Hankey was appointed to the command of the destroyer Vanquisher in the following month, in which capacity he would be advanced to Commander in May 1940, and win his first D.S.C. and a mention in despatches, the latter for ‘good services in the withdrawal of the Allied Armies from the beaches of Dunkirk’ (London Gazette 16 August 1940 refers).

During the evacuation of Dunkirk, Vanquisher made no less than seven trips in the period 29 May to 3 June, and rescued in excess of 3,500 troops, though latterly she was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander W. C. Bushell, R.N., Alers-Hankey having been taken ashore on account of illness - most likely complete exhaustion after day-in-day-out, under fire, on the bridge.

Action at Dunkirk aside, Vanquisher carried out valuable convoy escort work and, with her consort Scimitar, picked up 43 survivors from the merchantman Humber Arm, which had been torpedoed by the U-99 off Fastnet on 8 July 1940. He was awarded the D.S.C.

Removing to the destroyer depot ship HMS Tyne in August 1940, Alers-Hankey is believed to have commanded the destroyer Nestor in the Bismarck action in May 1941. Be that as it may, he added a second “mention” to his accolades (London Gazette 1 January 1943 refers), before taking command of the destroyer Limbourne, in September 1943.

As it transpired, the latter appointment was short-lived, Limbourne falling victim to an enemy torpedo boat in the Channel, near Guernsey, on 23 October 1943, with a loss of 42 of her ship’s company - a victim of a disastrous attempt to intercept a blockade runner which also witnessed the loss of the cruiser Charybdis. For his gallant example under trying circumstances, Alers-Hankey was awarded a Bar to his D.S.C.

Having then served as an Executive Officer in the aircraft carrier Formidable, and been advanced to Captain, he ended the war as C.O. of the escort carriers Campania (March-May 1945) and Trumpeter, out in the Far East (from May 1945).

Post-war, Alers-Hankey held a variety of appointments, among them Naval Attache at Buenos Aires 1949-50, C.O. of the Diamond 1951-53, and Naval A.D.C. to the Queen.

The Captain, who was placed on the Retired List in June 1954 and became an Efficiency Expert, died in Chelsea, London, in November 1984; sold with copied research.