The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 1)

Ten: The Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) 2nd type; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Korea 1950-53 (Capt (S) H. M. S. Strachan-White, O.B.E. R.N.); U.N. Korea; Coronation 1953; Czechoslovakia, Medal of Merit, 1st class, the group mounted as worn, good very fine (10)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 11 December 1945. Wind-up operations Europe 1945.

Czech Medal of Merit London Gazette 7 December 1948, awarded for assisting Czech soldiers escape from France in 1940.

Herbert Mansel Strachan Strachan-White served aboard GALATEA in 1940, taking part in the evacuation of the British army from France in May and June, and also the rounding up of the BISMARCK. He joined the ill-fated PRINCE OF WALES in June 1941, but was amongst the survivors when the ship was sunk on 10 December 1941, just four days before his old ship GALATEA suffered a similar fate. He next served aboard DUKE OF YORK and MALABAR in which he served through to the war’s end. In each of these last three ships Strachan-White served as Secretary to Vice-Admiral A. T. B. Curtis. After the war he served in Berlin with the Allied Control Commission, and during the Korean War was aboard the aircraft carrier THESEUS. Promoted to Captain in December 1951 and appointed Vice-Chairman of Interview Board in June 1956, he retired on 24 December 1959.