Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: attributed to Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander D. J. Wilkes, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, killed in action, serving aboard ‘commando delivery ship’ H.M.S. Queen Emma, off Sicily, 17 July 1943

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, all unnamed, extremely fine (3) £100-140

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Medical Services from the Collection of the late Tony Sabell.

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M.I.D. London Gazette 11 March 1941.

Daniel Jack Wilkes was born in Birmingham on 25 March 1913. He was educated at the Old Edgebaston School - Lawrences College and the University of Birmingham where he gained the ‘conjoint diploma’ of M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. in 1936. After qualification he became a House Surgeon at Birmingham General Hospital and then joined the practice of his brother-in-law in Monument Road, Birmingham. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Wilkes joined the R.N.V.R. as a Surgeon Lieutenant, being posted to H.M.S. Collingwood - a shore establishment at Fareham, near Gosport. Whilst serving there he was mentioned in despatches, being involved in the removal of an unexploded bomb! He later served aboard H.M.S. Queen Emma - a former Dutch merchant ship that was used as a ‘commando delivery ship’ transporting smaller landing craft by which commandos were put ashore. Wilkes served aboard the Queen Emma in the Lofoten Raid of 4 March 1941 and the Dieppe Raid of 19 August 1942. The Queen Emma was then used for a Commando attack in support of the Sicily landings. On the night of 17/18 July 1943, the ship came under heavy attack from the air and among the casualties was Surgeon Commander Wilkes who was killed by a bomb splinter whilst the ship was just off the town of Augusta. He was later buried at sea. His name is commemorated on the Royal Naval Memorial at Portsmouth and on the University of Birmingham Memorial.

With medal forwarding box addressed to ‘Mr G. E. Wilkes, 65 Prescott Street, Birmingham 18’; condolence slip named to ‘Temporary Acting Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Daniel Jack Wilkes, R.N.V.R.’; together with a quantity of copied research contained in a folder. The medals, condolence slip and card box all set in a 25.5 x 25.5cm. glazed wooded frame.